



h""^^. 



<6 9^ 















V 




lontreal by way of Chazy 

AND 

)wn the St. Lawrence River to Quebec. 

A BICYCLE TOUR. 




LITTLE CHAMPLAiN STREET, QUEBEC. 



PRICE 25 CENTS. 



AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

The last chapter of this book first appeared in the 
Boston Courier, under the title : •' Canada's Attitude 
Toward the United States," and is re-published by per- 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 

Many of the illustrations that embellish this narrative 
are reproduced from photographs taken by the Authors 
during the journey, but to the kind courtesy of The 
Canadian Pacific Railway, whose splendidly equipped 
line and superb service are so highly appreciated by the 
patrons thereof, the Authors are indebted for the follow- 
ing plates : — Dominion Square, Montreal ; Notre Dame 
Cathedral, Lachine Rapids, The Cidatel, Quebec; Chateau 
Frontenac, St. Louis Gate, Martello Tower, Little Cham- 
plain Street, Quebec; Falls of Montmorency, The 
Basilica, (two views) ; Ste. Anne de Beaupre. 






MONTREAL by way of CHAZY 



AND 



Down the St. Lawrence River to Quebec. 



BY 

ALLAN ERIC 

AND 

THE "JUNIOR PARTNER.' 



Authors of: — " Buckra " Land, A Vacation Tour Awheel, Follow- 
ing the Tow-Path and Through the Adirondacks Awheel, 
The Comic History of Spain, Two Years a 
Castaway on a Tropical Island, 
Etc., Etc. 



1899. 



BOSTON : 
Geo. R. Willis & Co., 286 Washington Stuhht. 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 

Ufbrary of Congre»«| 
Office of the 

NOV 181899 

Register of Copyrtghtfc 

48573 

Copyright, 1899, 
By the Authors. 

6 



SECOND COPY, 






LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



The Authors, en route Frontispiece. 

PAGE. 

Breakwater and Lighthouse, Lake Champlain - - - 32 

On the Frontier 36 

General View of Montreal 44 

Dominion Square, Montreal 46 

Lachine Rapids 48 

Notre Dame Cathedral, Montreal 50 

A Drogher on the St. Lawrence River . . - - 52 

The Citadel, Quebec . 54 

Falls of Montmorency - 56 

The Basilica, Ste. Anne de Beaupre 58 

Interior of the Basilica 60 

Booths Near the Church 62 

Shrirfe in the Garden 64 

Wolfe Monument, Quebec 66 

Chateau Frontenac, Quebec 68 

St. Louis Gate, Quebec 10 

Martello Tower, Quebec 72 

Grand Battery, Quebec 76 

On the Summit of Mount Royal, Montreal .... 78 



I 



MONTREAL by way of CHAZY 

AND 

Down the St. Lawrence Eiver to Quebec. 



CHAPTER I. 

Such an extended trip, embracing something 
hke fifteen hundred miles, could not be accom- 
plished wholly on bicycles, in the time at our dis- 
posal. But when we were seated comfortably in 
a luxurious parlor car and the train on the Fitch- 
buig railroad pulled out of the Union Station, in 
Boston, our wheels, luggage and full equipment 
were in the baggage car ahead. 

Although we had several times ridden over the 
Fitchburg road on that splendidly appointed ex- 
press, it is always new, always delightful, ever re- 
plete with rare enjoyment such as luxurious equip- 
ment, courteous officials and rare scenery com 
bined, can afford. The time passed pleasantly, 
with an agreeable traveling companion, as the 
train sped on over the length of the State of Mas- 
sachusetts, past fertile farms, beautiful valleys 
and over rushing streams, making few stops unti\ 
we were within the shadow of the Hoosac Moun- 
tains; and then we began to anticipate that al- 



10 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

ways interesting experience, the passage through 
the famed Hoosac Tunnel, which, for travelers, 
renders this line particularly attractive; for there 
is a novelty in shooting through a tunnel, miles in 
length, of which one never wearies. 

A sudden exit from the bright light of day, a 
prolonged roar, a sudden flash and the train shot 
into the bright sunlight of the perfect July day: 
and we realized that we had passed under th> 
mountains that towered thousands of feet above 
us. Then on to the northwest corner of the state, 
across a bit of Vermont, roaring over streams 
above which darted great northern king-fishers, 
and the train stopped at Hoosic Junction, a ro- 
mantic spot in the State of New York. Here we 
disembarked, and made haste to strap the lug 
gage, the camera and the large foot-pump upon 
the wheels, while an interested audience gathered 
around. We formed a unique caravan, no doubt, 
for anyone could see that we were equipped for n 
journey, and it is not often that bicycles are seen 
in such touring equipment. The case containing 
extra clothing, photographic plates and some 
other articles was forwarded by express to Bur- 
lington, Vt., where we expected to require it. 

We were bound for Eagle Bridge, only two 
miles distant, where we were to embark on an- 
other railroad for Fairhaven, Vt., for, having on 
a previous trip ridden on our wheels over this 
route, we preferred not to go over it a second 
time; therefore we proposed to make Fairhaven, 
near the head of Lake Champlain, that night. 
But although Eagle Bridge wns but two miles 
away, we were obliged to ride back, eastward. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 11 

about two miles, in order to cross the river; so we 
had really more than four miles to ride in reach- 
ing Eagle Bridge. While the road had been rend- 
ered rough by recent rains, there had been sufiBi- 
cient teaming over it to make a fair path in the 
wheel track, and we were not long in reaching 
Eagle Bridge. 

Going up to the railroad station we found that 
we had two hours to wait for a train on the other 
road; but the time did not prove monotonous, as 
the oflBcials about the station made things very 
pleasant for us. 

When at last the train arrived we went aboard 
in a smart shower, during which the wheels re- 
ceived a little wetting, all because the baggage 
master neglected to place them in proper shelter, 
thinking, probably, that they were wheelbarrows 
or some such delicate machines, instead of pieces 
of finely constructed mechanism. 

Instead of starting on time, we had a tedious 
wait which was very annoying to us, as we had 
to ride over the road, eight miles, from Poultney, 
whither we were bound by rail, to Fairhaven, 
and, not knowing what the condition of the roads 
might be, we naturally wished to go over them 
before dark; and every minute lost might mean 
an hour of stumbling along through the dark with 
our heavily-loaded wheels. While the fireman and 
the engineer smoked and took things easy, we 
consulted the time-table of this particular road, 
from which is taken the following quotation, by 
which it will be seen the road lets itself down 
very easy: "Showing the time at which trains 
may be expected to arrive at and depart from the 



12 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

several stations, but their arrival or departure at 
the time stated is not guaranteed, nor does the 
company hold itself liable for any delay or any 
consequences arising therefrom." 

But there is always an end to all things, and so 
at length, the train started, and at once set about 
making up lost time. The car was light and the 
speed being terrific, we were snapped around 
curves until our necks were full of "cricks," our 
backs were nearly broken and our heads ached 
That ride can only be compared to a ride in a 
farm wagon, without springs, drawn by a pair 
of horses at full gallop over a very poor corduroy 
road. 

The train stopped frequently to let passengers 
on and off, and probably to leave the mail. At 
each station large delegations were present to see 
the train come in and to shake harids, kiss and 
talk to one another, while the train waited for 
them to do it— it almost seemed to us. The ami 
able conductor, a veteran of the road, seemed to 
know everybody who got aboard, all up through 
that country, and greeted them as old acquaint- 
ances. Between some of the stations he came 
and talked to us about the people along the way 
which explained the familiar greetings between 
him and local denizens as the train pulled in and 
out of stations. He knew who lived in nearly 
every farm-house beside the line, and was posted 
with regard to family details. But he couldn't 
help that. A man who has been passing over the 
same route for two or three decades, must, of ne- 
cessity, know something about the people. He 
even claimed to know the pedigrees of most of 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. IS 

the hens in the farmyards, and related to us hov? 
he had once partaken of a fowl at a farmer's 
table, whose house he pointed out as we jogged 
past, but he stated that he had too much respect 
for old age to ever repeat the experiment. 

Meanwhile the engineer had been making up 
time, so we were only a few minutes late ii 
reaching Poultney. We made haste to secure our 
wheels, which, by the way, were thrown from the 
baggage car as though they had been pig-iron, 
time being very precious (vide., the quotation from 
the time-table). Hastily securing the baggage we 
started for Fairhaven. Delighted, beyond meas- 
ure, to find the road excellent, the eight miles' ride 
was a superb spin. The sun being set, the air 
was cool, and we glided by quiet pastoral scenes, 
while fire-flies danced over the meadows and 
across the road. 

Just at dark the lights of Fairhaven glimmered 
ahead, and presently we dismounted in front of 
"The Cottage," where a fair figure clad in white 
tripped down the path to greet us. In spite of our 
late arrival, thanks to a telegram which I had 
sent from Eagle Bridge and to the thoughtfulners 
of the landlord, an acceptable supper awaited us 
and the landlord and his wife sat with us at the 
table while we ate and conversed, reminiscently. 



CHAPTER II. 

We did not hurry about setting out the next 
morning for the reason that we intended to go 
only to Larrabee's Foint, a little place on Lake 
Champlain, opposite Ticonderoga, which, we had 
every reason to expect from our experience the 
summer previous, would be a very easy run. W<> 
were looking forward with much pleasant antici- 
pation to meeting again our friends at Larrabee's. 
also to making a brief call at a farm house on the 
way where we had been so hospitably entertained 
at dinner on our former tour. 

It was a perfect morning overhead, and we left 
Fairhaven with every expectation of having a de- 
lightful ride. But alas; this life is replete with 
surprises and disappointments, as well as pleas- 
ures. For perhaps a couple of miles we rod? 
along very comfortably; but then wc struck some 
rough road. This did not alarm us, however for 
we believed it would be only temporary. While 
walking up a small hill a party of young men and 
ladies on wheels, in faultless costumes, overtook 
and passed us; but it was not long before it was 
demonstrated that riders who go out for an oc- 
casional "spin" do not hold out against seasoned 
tourists, for we presently passed thorn at rest be 
neath some trees beside the road as we flew by. 
while we navigated our heavily-loaded wheeL-* 



C/t-c^^o-*- O-vt, cs^ ffi^ f y 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 15 

over the rough road. The further we proceeded 
the more walking we did, until we ceased to ride 
altogether. Our surprise and disappointment 
were great, as the road continued to stretch ahead 
of us, entirely unridable; this road, which we had 
found so perfect a year ago. The explanation of 
it was that, two or three days previous, there had 
been heavy rains, and the soil being clayey, the 
teams passing over it while the surface was soft 
had broken up the surface, and the day mud hav- 
ing dried, the result was the roughest and the 
most utterly unridable road that we had ever 
seen; a continuous stretch of sharp projections, 
almost as hard as flint, over which we walked 
with great effort. Mile after mile we walked: 
making very slow progress, hoping against hop 5 
that there would be an end to it. But no. W*i 
stopped once or twice to refresh ourselves witi? 
wild raspberries, and once for a drink of cold 
water from a mountain stream. Our progress wa$» 
so slow that we lost all idea of our location, and 
we were getting desperately hungry. We kept 
looking for the farm-house where we wished lo 
call and renew old acquaintance, but it did not 
appear. Finally we concluded that we must have, 
in some way, left the right road ; and so we lifted 
our wheels over the fence and struck across a 
field toward a house on the other road, which ran 
to the right of us, only more to the east than the 
one we were traversing. At this house we made 
inquiries that resulted in no satisfaction, and 
after the farmer and his robust family, who were 
sitting on the veranda digesting their recent din- 
ner, had favored us with a pitcher of ice-water— 



16 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

and ^ve were surprised to find ice at a farm-bonse 
—we went on, taking a near-by cross road back to 
the road we had left. We walked on, silently, 
doggedly, well nigh discouraged; for, if this con- 
dition continued, there was no hope of reaching 
Larrabee's that day, or even the next. While as- 
cending a long hill we fully decided that further 
effort was useless, for we were very tired and 
nearly famished. At the top of the hill we saw a 
farm-house, and hurried to it with the hope that 
we could obtain something to eat; but to our great 
disappointment it proved to be deserted. Here the 
Junior Partner said that she could go no further, 
and to me the outlook appeared hopeless. Leav- 
ing her on the veranda of the deserted house I 
walked on a few rods to where I could see down 
the other side of the hill, hoping to discover an- 
other house not far away; but there was none, 
only an interminable road, rough and unridable 
stretching on and on. It was now nearly the 
middle of the afternoon. Going down into a field 
where some men were at work, I got some wate»* 
in half a cocoanut shell and carried it to the Jun- 
ior Partner. Slightly refreshed, we retraced our 
steps about half a mile to a road we bad passed, 
leading to the westward, to Benson, near the lake. 
If we could roach there we felt sure of getting 
something to eat, and hoped to find some trans- 
poi-tation up the lake. As we reached the junc- 
tion of the roads we saw, coming toward us, 9. 
team heavily loaded with lumber. There were 
two men with it, and we anxiously waited to see 
if they were going toward Benson, and a great 
load was lifted from us when the team turned 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 17 

into the road and the men readily consented to 
take us and our wheels to Benson. So the Junior 
Partner was j?iven a seat beside the driver, while 
I rode on the top of the load, steadying the 
wheels. 

Thus we rode into Benson, and, oblivious to the 
curious stares of the villagers, got off at the hotel. 
To the landlord I made known our situation, and 
asked that he furnish us with something to eat. 
It was far past the dinner hour and he did not 
enthuse over the proposition; but I told him that 
we must have something to eat, and that there 
could be no ifs or ands about it, whereupon he 
called his wife, and we sat down to a very indif- 
ferent meal at a good, round price. However, -it 
was better than nothing. 

While at the table we discussed with the land- 
lord concerning the means of getting to Larra- 
bee's. There was no steamer, and it did not ap- 
pear very certain that we could reach the ferry. 
about four miles away, catch the sail ferry bv^at 
and get across the lake in season to get a train on 
the other side. In the course of conversation we 
mentioned going to Larrabee's by team, and I 
asked the landlord what he would charge to take 
us and our wheels there. He named a price 
which seemed reasonable, and to it we agreed. 
Almost as soon as we had finished dinner a team, 
consisting of a pair of horses and a beach wagon, 
was ready, and with the wheels in behind us, we 
started. To our surprise the driver turned In the 
opposite direction from Larrabee's, and the Jun- 
ior Partner mentioned it to him. He was greatly 
surprised, for he had been ordered to take us to 



18 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

the ferry. So we turned around and returned to 
the hotel, had a few words with the blundering 
landlord, made a new price, a dollar more, and 
started again. 

We will pass over the ride briefly; though, un- 
der any other circumstances and condition of the 
road, which allowed the horses to proceed at a 
pace but little faster than a walk, it would have 
been enjoyable and romantic, as It was, it was 
not very unpleasant, though several stops wei*e 
necessary to re-adjust the wheels, and we arrived 
at Larrabee's, driving up to "The Locusts'* just 
about sunset. 

The welcome which we received after our 
gloomy day from the Doctor, the "Pilot" and fram 
"Jack," made us forget our trials. Nor shall we 
ever forget that first evening at that delightful re- 
treat close to the lake — and we, the Doctor and I, 
smoked, and smoked, and smoked, until a late 
hour, our smoke-talk being occasionally broken, 
however, by the congenial society of the ladies; 
for, be It here known, the "Pilot," "Jack" and the 
Junior Partner were all of the fair sex. 



CHAPTER III. 

Our friends, we learned, had no idea of allowing 
us to go on the next day; on the contrary, they 
had laid plans for our entertainment and pleas- 
ure, no less than a voyage down (no, up) the lake 
on the Doctor's steam-yacht ** Refuge." Now 
about going *'up" the lake. I never could get 
Lake Champlain straightened out in my mind, be- 
cause one naturally associates south with "down " 
and north with "up;" but as the head of Lake 
Champlain is to the south, and the foot, where it 
empties its waters through the Richelieu river la- 
the St. Lawrence, is to the north, when you go up 
the lake you go down, and when you go down th*i 
lake you go up— up south and down north sounds 
funny, but the lake is wholly to blame. 

The Doctor said something about calling us Id 
the morning. But that wasn't necessary, for I 
got up half a dozen times in the night and looked 
out of the window to see if we were to have a fine 
day, and so I was awake about as early as the 
Doctor was. 

The Doctor, with the aid of his big, handsome 
dog "Don," his inseparable companion, had got 
the curtains of the "Refuge" snugly stowed, and 
she lay at her anchorage as jauntily as a duck. 
The morning was beautiful and the lake, spark- 
ling in the bright sunlight, reflected the shadows 
of the magnificent locust trees on the lawn at the 
water's edge— not forgetting the cork tree. 



20 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

The Doctor appeared at the breakfast table clad 
for a long voyage. The Pilot and the Junior 
Partner were in good spirits, and Jack was as 
sweet as the pinks that blushed on the lawn. 

To add to the pleasure of the day, there had 
been invited three young ladies and a gentleman, 
all of whom appeared in good time. During the 
embarkation of the stores, Jack assisted the Doc- 
tor, and rambled about from one rocking ])oat 
to another as though they were solid rocks. A 
thorough boatman is Jack. Meanwhile Don got 
terribly excited for fear that he was not down 
upon the ship's papers for the day's voyage; and 
I fully believe that it would have broken his 
heart if he had been left behind. He obediently 
lay upon the lawn, at the Doctor's command, un- 
til the stores were aboard, and the ladies. But 
then he could no longer endure the strain, for he 
rushed down to the landing, barking joyously, and 
was transported to the Refuge. Then he was su- 
premely happy. 

All aboard and snugly stored, and Jack lighted 
the fire under the boiler. In an incredibly short 
time steam was up and the Doctor, who was chief 
engineer, started the engine. The Doctor is as 
skilful an engineer as ever opened a throttle on 
Lake Champlain. He knows a marine engine 
from eccentric to crank-pin, and the slightest un- 
usual sound from the engine while it is working 
attracts his attention and causes him to feel at 
once for the proper tool with which to set every- 
thing right. 

The Pilot, who is duly licensed as such, took the 
wheel, and as the screw began to revolve xhe 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 21 

Refuge swung gracefully around and headed for 
the draw (?) bridge over which the railroad 
crosses the lake, which is narrow here. The Pilot 
blew the whistle for the draw to be opened, and 
then she disturbed the atmosphere with the syren. 
This syren will bear looking into, as the Doctor 
said one day as he gazed down its yawning 
mouth. It gives forth the most unearthly sound 
that ever cleft a glorious morning in twain. As 
it bellows out, the torn and tattered sound as it 
reverberates from headland to headland is like 
unto a thousand catamounts, and ten thousaad 
Indian devils. When this syren was first import- 
ed from Africa it frightened half the populatlor. 
of Vermont out of several years of growth. Now 
the Pilot has got the blowing of the syren down 
to a science, as the Doctor said, and when she 
toys with the rope the demons are let loose, un- 
muzzled. 

Meanwhile the draw swung open. It is a fear- 
ful and wonderful draw. When it opens it looks 
as though half the bridge had broken away and 
started to float off up the lake. It is moved by 
means of engines and huge chains that hang sus- 
pended beneath the surface of the water, their 
weight causing them to sag sufficiently to allow 
the keels of boats and steamers to pass over 
them. The opening of the draw was wide enough 
for a cathedral to be towed through, and the Ref- 
uge glided through as though she owned the lake, 
her two yacht club flags fluttering from the peaks, 
fore and aft. 

Meanwhile the Doctor was by the engine, Don 
stood the port watch, while all the rest, myself 



22 MONTREAL FY WAY OF CHAZY. 

excepted, gathered in the saloon aft and were 
comfortable and happy. The "Twins" made a 
lovely picture as they reclined in the stern sheets. 

As for me, I was perfectly happy up forward 
with the Pilot, who pointod out to me all the 
points of interest on either shore. Among the 
most interesting objects was the ruin of old Fort 
Ticonderoga, which stands on a bold, high head- 
land not far from the mouth of the creek which 
forms the outlet for the waters of Lake George 
into Lake Champlain. 

This historic fortitication was erected by Baron 
Dieskau, the French general, in 1755, and it was 
somewhat enlarged in 1757, when it was occupied 
by Montcalm, who marched thence to attack Fort 
William Henry. Fort Ticonderoga and the immed- 
iate vicinity was the scene of many bloody con- 
flicts between the French and English. On ihe 
morning of the 10th of May, 1775, the fort was 
surrendered to Gen. Ethan Allen, who demanded 
its capitulation "In the name of the Great 3?- 
hovah and the Continental Congress." In 1777 
General Burgoyne, M-ith 7,500 British soldi*^rs, 
laid siege to the fort, from Mt. Defiance, from 
which latter point they were able to drop shot 
over into the fort, and it was abandoned on the 
night of July 4th. After the capture of Burgoyne 
at Saratoga the British retired into Canada, but 
in 17S0 the old fort was again occupied by the 
troops under General Haldiman. Referring to the 
ruins of today— the old battery on the bluff is said 
to have been the original Carillon. Back on the 
higher ground are the barrack walls, trenches and 
bastions. On the west, beyond the outlet of Lase 



MONTREAL RY WAY OF CHAZY. 23 

George, is Mt. Defiance. Opposite the fort at the 
southeast, the lake is narrowed down by Mt. In- 
dependence, which was also fortified while St, 
Clair held command during the siege. The lake 
here turns toward the north, the water washing 
three sides of the promontory. Across the locust- 
covered flat, just north of the ruins, from a point, 
near the draw-bridge, lay Ethan Allen's route ia 
1775. 

Whitehall, at the extreme end of the lake, our 
destination, is about twenty-three miles south of 
Fort Ticonderoga. Under the skilful guidance or 
the Pilot, with the Doctor in the engine room, and 
with Don keeping a sharp lookout ahead and on 
either side, the swift craft flew through the water, 
threaded narrow channels, along lovely shores, 
past bold headlands and high cliffs— a perfect pan- 
orama of lovely scenery. On the west shore is the 
State of New York with the Adirondacks looming 
up in the distance, while on the east shore is Ver- 
mont. We frequently passed lighthouses and bea- 
cons, every one of which was familiar to the Pilot, 
who, while she manipulated the wheel, acted tba 
part of a charming hostess. Sounds of frequent 
disturbances, interspersed with singing and laugh- 
ter, came from the cabin aft; but as for the Pilot 
and myself we were simply glad that the rest of 
the party were enjoying themselves. 

We met several small steam launches that, as 
they passed, were tossed like corks on the sea 
kicked up by the Refuge as she bowled along, as 
craft of lesser size are rocked by a passing Cuii- 
arder. Each craft was saluted with the syren, to 
which Don invariably contributed his stentorian 
voice. 



24 MONTREAL 1?Y WAY OF CHAZY. 

Meantime the stores were broken out and we 
enjoyed a bountiful repast; and as the ea tables 
rapidly disappeared the Doctor couldn't seem ro 
understand why the yacht was not thereby light- 
ened, why she did not draw less water just as she 
did when the coal was used from the bunkers. 
But I trust that he will fathom the mystery, clear- 
ly, and to his own satisfaction. 

As we neared Whitehall, we met a long line of 
canal boats, clumsy looking craft, tied two 
abreast, in tow of a tug-boat with a funnel as 
high as the chimney of a sawmill. Curious look- 
ing, unkempt, unshaven characters, one sees on 
the canal boats, and the women who live thereon 
are not exactly examples of feminine lovelinoss. 
Yet who knows but what some of them may have 
seen better days? 

For much of the way below Larrabee's the lake 
is very narrow, and winds along like a Wver. 
Rounding a point we steamed up to a wharf at 
Whitehall, and disembarked. The entire com- 
p'^ny, the Pilot excepted, went up town with va il- 
eus objects in view. The Junior Partner and I 
looked about for objects of interest, which we 
found principally in the Champlain Canal, whVh 
leaves the lake at this point and furnishes direct 
water communication with New York, by way of 
West Troy and the Hudson river. We watched 
the interesting process of locking the boats from 
the level of the lake up to the highest level of tue 
canal, and it is wonderful how quickly a heavily 
loaded boat is lifted many feet. The process Is 
the same as on the Erie Canal, but the locks here 
are much smaller. 



MONTREAL WY WAY OF CHAZY. 25 

Just as the .Iiinior Partner aud I reached the 
Refuge on our return, a drenching shower of raiu 
came on, and I made haste to lower the curtams. 
One by one, as the rain ceased, the other mem- 
bers of the party came aboard, including the Doc- 
tor, who carried a great coil of rope. In view of 
the fact that I had never noticed anything espe- 
cially peculiar about the Doctor, and because 
there was a determined look in his eye as he ap- 
proached, I was not a little startled for a mo- 
ment; but we soon learned that the rope was in- 
tended for the anchor. 

Steam was soon up, the lines were cast od 
while I hoisted the flag to the fore-peak, and th;» 
Refuge swung around and we started on the re- 
turn trip. 

Whitehall is a quaint looking town. It lies part- 
ly in a valley and partly sprawled over a rugged 
mountain side in a succession of terraces. It waa 
formerly called by the beautiful and euphonious 
name of Skeensborough, after Col. Philip Skeen, 
who accompanied Abercrombie in 1758. Viewed 
from a little distance, it looks like a deserted 
cave-dwellers' village. 

The sun sank in a blaze of glory beyond the Ad- 
irondacks as we steamed northward, bathing the 
verdure in purple radiance, and crowning the loft 
iest peaks with diadems of gold. As the 'ast 
slanting beams fell upon the water the lake was 
transformed into a winding ribbon of glorious, 
luminous colors, and the stretches of water-grass 
along the shores appeared like purple mists rest- 
ing upon the divine coloring. 

Now the keepers of the lights were seen goirg 



26 MONTREAL PY WAY OF ClIAZY. 

out to thorn, ascendiuff tJio towers to the lanterns, 
and lighting the lamps for the guidance of lake 
navigators. As the sun settUnl behind the moun- 
tains and tlu^ twilight deepened the shores 
seemed enveloped in a blue mist, whieh was fol- 
lowed by darkness. 

We made one brief lauding, when all hnuds 
were glad to go ashore near a pretty abode on the 
steep bluif. 

Prom hero on tlie shores were only dimly vis- 
ible. Lights here and there gleamed among the 
trees, and the stars shone elear. overhead. There 
was no sound, save an indistinet murmuring 
from the shore — save that caused by the quick 
pulsation of the engine and the gurgle of the 
water at the bows and stern. 

rhe other members of the party, aft, sang a 
few snatches of song, and the Twins were st'll 
good-natured. Tlie Doctor joined in some of the 
songs, and. from my posit it>n in the bow beside 
the IMlot 1 could now and then see his face when 
the furnace door was swung open to receive shov 
elfuls of coal. 

The Pilot guided the yaclit by means of points, 
heaiilands. bonds and the lights along the way. 
until, suddenly, she put the helm hard over and 
st*?ered to what seemed to me to be an impene- 
trable wall of blackness: but in a few minutes 
there appeared a rift in the mountains, we glided 
through the "Narrows" and ahead appeared the 
liglits on the draw-bridge, which swung open in 
response to tlie whistle. Then she steered for the 
liglits on sliore at T.arra bee's, and then the engine 
was slowed down that the mooring buov niiirht be 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CIIAZY. 27 

picked up. The Doctor ordered me to look ahead 
for it, and I soon saw it; but tlie yaclit swung 
away and I was unable to make fast to it. So 
the gentleman aft who had had things his own 
way all day, got into the tender, came around to 
the bows, where I went over tlio sid(; into tlio ten- 
der with the line, and as he pulled toward the 
buoy with the Refuge in tow, I reached the l>aov 
and made fast. 

Then all disembarked and were rowed ashore. 
Jack, nicaiiwliile, rambling around over the sur- 
face of the water, like a sprite. 

It was ten o'clock, but thanks to the good soul 
who remained at the house and had been waicH- 
Ing for us, a dainty supper was ready when wo 
arrived. 

I returned to the Refuge with the Doctor to as- 
sist him in fastening down the curtains, mali'ng 
the yacht snug. Later I went up across the field 
witli .Tack, for some milk, when she nearly ran 
me off a trestle which spanned a ditch across the 
path. After that we sat on the veranda and en- 
joyed the cool air, the ladies talked and the Doc- 
tor and I smoked. 

All of a sudden a sti-ange uncanny light of 
strange eifulgence seemed to envelop us. 

"In the name of the spirit of the Great Ethon 
Allen, Doctor," said I, "what's that?'* 

"Don't know/' replied the Doctor. 

"Daylight!" gapped the Pilot. 

"Take your word for it, Pilot," said T, "never 
saw anything like it before." 

So we oach and severally said "good moroiug 
and au revoir," and retired, temporarily. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The dew had all evaporated from the Doctor's 
haystack when we assembled around the break- 
fast table later that morning; and soon after the 
morning meal we went up to the big house on the 
hill, whither we had been invited by our compag- 
nons de voyage of yesterday. What a fine ujan- 
sion it was, with its broad, vine-covered veranda. 
We ascended to the roof from which there was a 
superb view of the surrounding country and the 
lake. Then, in the spacious drawing-room there 
was music, piano and vocal, by the young ladies 
and the Doctor— a beautiful and fitting finale to 
our pleasant associations. 

Even Don entered into the spirit of the occa- 
sion, but the Doctor told him that his voice was 
too inflexible, and chased the old dog out. 

Never was there a pleasanter hour spent, <ind 
after taking photographs of the party grouped on 
the steps of the veranda, we said "good-by," and 
returned to "The Locusts." 

The time of parting had come, and we watched 
for the smoke of the big steamer "Vermont" to 
appear around the point whereon stands the ruin 
of the old fort— witli regret, for we must soon 
turn our backs to that charming abode by the lake 
shore, with its gracious hospitality; but we had 
comfort in the thought that we should carry away 
memories such as endure forever. 

While we waited we secured a few photo- 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 29 

graph, one of the Refuge as she lay at her moor 
ing; and then the great Vermont came thunder- 
ing up through the draw. We knew that it would 
be folly to try to ride to the foot of the lake — 
down north— on our wheels, hence our determina- 
tion to embark on the steamer. 

Jack and the Doctor accompanied us to the 
landing, and as we went aboard the Doctor intro- 
duced us to Captain Arbuckle, who greeted ns 
kindly; and as we swung away we waved to those 
on the w^harf, and to the Pilot who remained on 
the veranda; and we love to think of that last 
glance, as the steamer circled out into the broad 
lake, which revealed her sitting so patiently be- 
neath the locust trees, with the flowers on the 
lawn in front, waving her handkerchief to us in 
token of— not farewell, nor yet good-bye — but only 
au revoir. 

Lake Champlain was known to the Indians as 
Cani-adere-quarante, meaning "this is the gate of 
the country." Samuel de Champlain was the first 
white man to see the lake, when, in 1609, h** ac- 
companied a party of Canadians on a hunting- ex- 
pedition toward the south. Subsequently the lake 
was named for Champlain, though it wa& for a 
time, known as Mere les Iroquois. Od the east 
side of the lake is Vermont, sweeping away in a 
broad plain which gradually ascends to the ridge 
of the Green Mountains. Along the southern and 
central portions of the lake the rocky western 
shores come abruptly to the water's edge. West- 
ward, rising ridge on ridge, the highest, misty in 
the distance, are the Adirondack Mountains. Fur- 
ther north the mountains fall away and a level 



30 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

country is presented. The lake's greatest widtb. 
which is near the outlet of Ausable river, is 
twelve and one-half miles. Measuring north, 
from Whitehall into Missisquoi Bay, which ex- 
tends into Canada, its extreme length is 118 miles. 
Its elevation above tide-water is ninety-nine feet 
and its greatest depth is 399 feet. 

The steamer Vermont is a magnificent craft 
splendidly appointed, with spacious saloons and 
promenades, luxurious cabins and handsome 
staterooms; and a voyage on board the great boat 
on this broad inland sea is one of the finest ex- 
periences the world can afford. The Vermont najj 
two towering smokestacks, and her two great 
boilers are located on the main deck, one on tbe 
port and one on the starboard side— amidships*: 
and she burns pea coal. The engine is a ponder 
ous affair, and, through the courtesy of the chief 
engineer, we made a thorough inspection of ii. 
The passengere on the Vermont are pleasantly Im 
pressed with the freedom which they enjoy, and 
with the unobtrusiveness, yet easy courtesy of 
every person employed on the boat. When 1 re- 
marked this to Capt. Arbuckle, in the course of 
a chat with him, he said: "I will have it no other 
way on a boat which I command. I want passen- 
gers to feel at home;" and Capt. Arbuckle means 
what tie says, and if I am a judge of character, 
he never says anything which he does not meaa. 

We took things very easily, enjoying the superli 
scenery do either shore, especially the bold, beet- 
ling cliffs on the New York side. The stearoe'r 
made vario'js landings during the afternoon. Six 
miles north of Crown Point are the ruins of tb? 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 31 

fort, famous in Revolutionary history. Ttie lake 
is here narrowed down by the approach of lanJ 
extending from the west, on which the ruins 
stand. Chimney Point approaches from the east 
side. Beyond the lighthouse, at the narrowest 
place in the passage, are the scarcely visible ruins 
of Fort St. Frederick, built by the French in 1731. 
Crown Point Port, standing over toward the west, 
was commenced by Amherst in 1759. The extep- 
sive earthworks, and the walls of the barracks, 
are still in a good state of preservation. Port 
Henry, two miles to the northwest, is exceedingly 
picturesque. Calamity Point is about two miles 
north of Westport; and here the steamer Cham- 
plain was wrecked in 1875, while running north on 
her regular night trip. Split Rock Mountain ex- 
tends along the west shore, terminating in a sharp 
point eight miles north of Westport. In the u£.- 
eertain recjQrd of old Indian treaties, it is claimed 
that this rock marked the boundary line between 
the tribes of the St. Lawrence and those of the 
Mohawk Valley. Otter Creek enters the lake from 
the east, a little over five miles north of Wo>Jt- 
port. It is navigable to Vergennes. Fort Casstti 
stood at the mouth of Otter Creek, and bits of tha 
ruins are now visible. In this creek a portion of 
the American squadron was fitted out in 1812. 
which, under Commodore McDonough, defeated 
the British fleet under Commodore Downie, in 
September of that year. Four miles north of Es- 
sex Landing is the mouth of Boquet river, navi- 
gable about a mile, which was the rendezvous of 
Burgoyne's flotilla in the advance on Ticonderog»i 
in 1777; and in 1812 it was entered by the British 



32 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

vessels in tlie attack upon Willsborough. Near 
the middle of the lake near Willsborough Point 
are the islands known as "The Four Brothers," 
where occurred the running engagement between 
Benedict Arnold and Captain Pringle, in 1776. in 
which the British were the victors. 

After leaving Essex Landing the boat passdd 
out into the broad lake, gradually nearing the 
Vermont shore and approaching Burlington. In- 
land are the two highest peaks of the Green 
Mountains, Mt. Mansfield, 4,360 feet high, and 
Camel's Hump, known to the French as Leon Con 
chant. The longest stop was made at Burlington, 
which was interesting to us principally because 
it is said to be the most beautiful city in Vermont, 
and because that, near here, is located Fort Ethas) 
Allen, named after the hero of Ticonderoga. Col. 
Chester Point reaches half-way across the lake 
north of Burlington, and further west is Colches- 
ter Reef, the outermost rock of which is surmount- 
ed by a tower showing a red light We called at 
Port Kent, ten miles north of Burlington, and 
then, six miles beyond passed Valcour Island, 
near which occurred the first naval battle of the 
Revolution, October 11, 1776. The hotel wher«^ 
President McKinley stayed during his sojourn at 
Lake Champlain, stands on a bold headland 
which puts out from the west shore just norti* of 
Valcour Island. 

"While in what is known as the "brood lake," 
we had one of the experiences of an ocean voyage 
—for the paters of the great lake stretched away 
to the horizon, and no land was in sight ahead. 
As we neared Plattsburg, our destination, we rin 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 33 

into a heavy squall, which raised a sizable sea 
and covered the lake with white-caps. For a few 
minutes there was a pouring rain, and then, «» 
the squall passed over, a gorgeous rainbow hnng 
over the Vermont shore. 

Passing in by the break- water with its ligbt 
house, we landed at Plattsburg, and disembark jd 
with our wheels, going directly to our hot^^l. 
Plattsburg is in New York. The first settler In 
this region was Count Charles de Fredenburgh, a 
captain of the British army. After the Revohi 
tion the land was granted, in 1784, to Zephanlati 
Piatt and others, and incorporated Into the towu 
of Plattsburg in 1785. Here, in the lake, occurred 
a great naval battle, in 1814. 

That evening, after supper, we walked aronnd 
the old town, and presented letters of introductioii 
that the Doctor and Jack had kindly given u%, 
and which were of great service to us In connee- 
tion with our trip further north; and we enjofe^l 
the superb twilight as we returned to the hotel. 

In the morning we mounted our wheels Tin«1 
rode out to the barracks, a regular United Stat«« 
Army post, about a mile south of Plattsburg. 
where there are some fine buildings and exten 
sive, well-kept grounds. At the time of our visit 
troops were being recruited there for service in 
the Philippines. 

Returning to the hotel, the luggage was fas- 
tened upon the bicycles, and mounting, we 
wheeled away toward the Canadian frontier. 



CHAPTER V. 

We had, the evening before, made inquiries con- 
cerning the best route to talie from Plattsburg to 
Rouse's Point, and, in each instance, we were ad- 
vised, even urged to go by way of Chazy. The 
gentleman to whom we had a letter of introduc- 
tion said, "You had better go by way of Chazy." 
A wheelman w^hom we accosted replied, "Be sure 
to go by way of Chazy, for you will find the best 
road that way"; and so, all the way, the breeze 
which blew from the nortliwest seemed to say, 
"Chazy, Chazy"; and the swaying boughs of the 
trees sighed, "Cha-zy, Ch-a-z-y." We could not 
miss the road, for nearly every sign board read— 
"To Chazy." 

For the first two miles or so out of Plattsburg 
we went over a fine macadam road, which afford- 
ed us some charming glimpses of the lake; then, 
turning due north we found a good loam road, 
which allowed us to wheel at a good pace, and not- 
withstanding that there was a strong wind blow- 
ing, it came from a point nearly at right angles to 
our course, so it did not materially impede our 
progress. 

The country was not particularly interesting, be- 
ing rolling, not very profusely wooded and fairly 
well cultivated. 

At one house we stopped for water, and there 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 35 

being none in tlie house I volunteered to take tlie 
tin pail and get some from the well. While clam- 
bering over a pole fence witli the pail of water, 
one of the poles slipped and down I went, on top 
of the pail. The result was that I was pretty well 
soaked, the contents of my pockets were strewn 
around and the pail was badly bent. 

We found wild raspberries plentiful and with 
fine, cool, bracing air we enjoyed the run to the 
utmost. Many of the houses here are built of 
logs, whitewashed on the outside. At a little vil- 
lage late in the forenoon, we stopped for refresh- 
ments and to renew my supply of smoking tobac- 
co. The proprietor of the inn congratulated us 
on stopping there, for he said we would not be 
able to procure such refreshments as (he could fur- 
nish us with, at Chazy. 

At noon we made a short stop at Chazy, which 
would be an excellent location for a sanitarium 
for people afflicted with nervousness. There be- 
ing no hotel visible there, we ran on until we came 
to a farm-house which looked as though there 
might be some hospitality to spare, and we were 
not mistaken, for the woman of the house was 
most obliging. 

We were anxious to reach Rouse's Point as early 
as possible, for we expected to find there a Cana- 
dian customs agent to clear our wheels. It is the 
last place on the American side, before crossing 
the frontier, and an important United States cus- 
toms post. Five miles from the frontier, at inter- 
vals of a mile, we passed posts which gave the 
distance to the line, viz., "5 miles to B. Line," or 
British line. 



36 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

Eonse's Point is a place of considerable commer- 
cial importance, and the most prominent port of 
entry on the frontier, and fivie railroads centre 
there. It is at the very end of the lake, and close 
to the mouth of the Richelieu river, which flows 
into rhe St. Lawrence. A short distance north is 
Port Montgomery, an interesting ruin belonging to 
the United States. 

Reaching Rouse's Point, we easily found the 
United States custom house, where we were cour- 
teously received by the oflScers, who informed us 
that there were no formalities to go through so 
far as the American authorities were concerned, 
also that the Canadian customs agent was away. 
They advised us to go on to the village of Lacolle, 
seven miles distant, on the Canadian side, where 
we w^ould find a Canadian official. So, after get- 
ting directions, we mounted and went on. At the 
edge of the village we took closer chances at 
crossing the railroad track in front of an ap- 
proaching train than we shall, either of us, care 
to take again. 

We soon had to dismount, for we came upon a 
clay road which had been rendered entirely un- 
rideable by recent rains; but we were not so crest- 
fallen over it as we should have been had we not 
been so near to crossing the frontier, which was 
an interesting event to us. Presently we reached 
a junction of the road with another leading to the 
east, wliere stood an iron post marking the boun- 
d'ary between the United States and Canada. This, 
we decided, would be a proper object to photo- 
graph; so I unshipped the camera, stood the 
wheels up against the post, and while the Junior 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 37 

Partner was taking her place she caught her foot 
in the Canada line and nearly fell down. Step- 
jying over to the American side I leveled the cam- 
era at Her Majesty's Dominion and— fired. The 
reason why I stood on the American side was that 
I feared that some wandering Canadian mig-'ht 
mistake me for another Fenian Raid, for they 
have not recovered from their scare of thirty 
years ago, or so, yet. 

After taking the photograph I copied the inscrip- 
tions from the four sides of the iron post:— 

North side:— "Lt.-'Col. I. B. B. Estcourt, H. B. 
M. Com'ss'r." 
East side r— "Treaty of Washington." 
South side:— "Albert Smith, U. S. Com'ss'r." 
West side:— "Boundary, Aug'st 9th, 1842." 
Continuing our leisurely walk, we wondered 
how many miles we were to have of it. 

The moment we crossed into Canada everything 
was changed. We were on a vast, fertile, thor- 
oughly cultivated plain, settled by French farm- 
ers. The land is divided into small farms, bound- 
ed by the parishes, just as it was laid out when 
the French first settled in Canada. These farms 
are small, of but few acres in ex:tent, and in the 
form of perfect rectangles. They are separated 
from one another by rail fences laid in herring- 
bone fashion, and so numerous are they that, look- 
ing across the level country, at a distance it looks 
as though covered with piles of wood. The roads 
follow these boundaries, turning at right angles, 
like stairs— up into Canada. We were interested 
in observing the crops, and we saw but little corn, 
for corn is not successfully grown so far north. 



38 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

But instead of each landholder having a large 
farm and half-tilling a small part of it, as in New 
England, each had just what he could thoroughly 
till; and these French farmers are thrifty, as their 
buildings and surroundings indicate. 

After a few miles of walking, to our great joy 
we reached a loam road and mounting we wheeled 
rapidly along throug*h the beautiful country until 
we came in sight of Lacolle. We dismounted at 
a station on the Canada Atlantic Railway to make 
inquiries of the agent, and while talking with him 
a portly, benevolent looking man strolled in and 
stood near. As I finished conversing with the 
agent, he faced me and said: "Have you a permit 
to travel in this country?" 

I replied that we were, as yet, liable to be 
grabbed up almost anywhere, but that we were 
about looking for a customs oflBcer. 

"I am the customs officer," said he, in an im- 
pressive manner. 

"You are the gentileman whom we have sought 
to seek," said I. 

"You haf to hunt for me, not I for you," said 
he. 

"That's why we have invaded Lacolle," I as- 
sured him. 

His office w^as near by, and with him we en- 
tered the sacred precincts of Her Majesty's guar- 
dian of the treasury— no. Sir Wilfred Laurier's, 
for Canada is British by courtesy only, throug-'h 
the indulgence of the Dominion. 

The officer, a Frenchman, was very courteous, 
and the necessary papers were soon filled out and 
handed to us, we surrendering our membership 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 39 

tickets in the League of American Wheelmen un- 
til the wheels were returned to the United States 
—thereby avoiding the payment of duty. 

I mentioned to him that we toad a camera, but 
he said that was all right; and thanliing him, we 
mounted and rode to the village; but as for that 
customs officer, there was no doubt in our minds 
but that he saw us coming along the road and 
strolled out to see who we were and what we pro- 
posed to do. 

Our minds easier, with the precious documents 
In our innermost pockets, we wheeled into the vil- 
lage. We felt the need of something to eat. The 
station agent told us there were two hotels, one 
kept by a P'renchman and the other by an Irish- 
man who married a French woman. As the pure 
French 'hostelry was nearest, we stopped there. 
A frousy-headed man answered our knock, and, 
after allowing that he could get us some tea, he 
ushered us into a front room. There was a piano 
there, which had no excuse for standing alone, 
and while we waited I played, first "Yankee Doo- 
dle" and then "God Save the Queen." While we 
sat there one or two men poked their heads into 
the door and looked at us, and then an old woman, 
a veritable witch in appearance, pushed her face 
in. Several times she did it, disappearing as soon 
as we looked at her. 

Finally the apparition appeared at another 
door, and this time I looked at her and made the 
statement :— "Boo !" 

The face disappeared instantly. 

And still we waited. At last, becoming impa- 
tient, I went out to inquire when the tea would be 



40 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

ready. I found a man in the bar-room, and asked 
him about it. 

He was very short, saying: "I don't tink you 
get nothing warm here today!" 

So I went back to the front room and reported 
to the Junior Partner, the ultimate outcome being 
that we left the hotel, mounted our wheels and 
started for the other tavern. There (God bless the 
Irish) we found a more hospitable welcome; and 
the Hibernian bonifaee, and the French lady who 
assisted him in dispensing hospitality, got us a 
nice meal, ham, eggs, bread, berries, cake, tea and 
plenty of ice water. The landlord '^'as all right, 
and as we took our departure he gave us direc- 
tions regarding the road, with instructions not to 
disregard them for anybody; and we found it all 
to be as he said. 

We found a good road and a pleasant country to 
ride through. But another adventure was in store 
for us. In front of a house we saw a team stand- 
ing, the occupant being engaged in conversation 
with a woman. Thinking that he was about to 
turn into the road, as we passed we rang our bells, 
simply to warn him of our presence. The moment 
we passed, he whipped up his horse and came on 
after us, shouting wildly some words that we 
could not understand. As we passed a man who 
was leaning against a fence, tlie Junior Partner 
asked what was the matter with the man in tbe 
team.. He replied that he thought he wanted us 
to stop, or that he wanted to get by. Finally the 
wild Frenchman in the wagon got so near us, 
keeping up his wild shouting, that we dismounted 
and stepped out of the road. When we did so he 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 41 

reined up, spoke a sentence or two rapidly, of 
which the only word we could catch was "parlez!" 
Now we knew that that meant "speak"; but as we 
were not conscious of having committed any of- 
fense w^e did not trouble ourselves as to what he 
wanted. He turned about and we remounted and 
rode on; but presently we heard him after us 
again. Fearing that he would run me down, I 
again dismounted, and as he passed me, as closely 
as he dared, he glared at me and muttered 
"sacre!" I ought to have told him to "sacre him- 
self," but I saw that he had been drinking, so I 
held my peace and he drove on, soon turning in at 
a farm, and we saw him no moi*e. We subse- 
quently learned that it is not considered courte- 
ous, in that country, to ring the bells when one 
wishes to pass, but to speak. So he probably 
wanted to know why we did not speak— "parlez." 
A mile or so further on we stopped to photo- 
graph a French farm-house. The houses have the 
walls built of stone, as a protection against the 
severe Canadian winters. We found at home only 
a lot of children, in charge of a brigiht little girl, 
whom we could not make understand what we 
wanted. She thougllit we wis'hed water and 
brought us some, very warm and in a very dirty 
vessel. As near as we could learn her mother was 
at work somewhere in the field. We succeeded in 
posing the children in a group on the door-steps, 
and after "pressing the button," we pushed nhead 
at a rapid rate over a very good loam road, until 
near sunset, when we noticed a shower coming 
rapidly up. This set us to thinking, for we were 
now not far from Montreal and it was not worth 



42 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

our while to spend another night on the road; be- 
sides, we wished to reach Montreal that evening. 
But we could not reach it awheel, especially in a 
shower. So, reaching a little French village we 
dismounted at the station— on the Grand Trunk 
road— and inquired about a train. The agent was 
a Frenchman who spoke good English, and he 
was very courteous. We secured our tickets, 
checked the wheels, and while we waited the 
agent made things very pleasant for us. Here 
we were again reminded that we were in a foreign 
land; for the sign over the railroad crossing read: 
—"Traverse du Chemin de Fer" (Railway Cross- 
ing). 

We looked about the quaint little village, and 
watched the people, all conversing in French. 
There was a curious little chapel there, whose bell 
w^as hung in a framework of timbers, beside the 
door: and while we were there a boy came and 
rung it as though a conflagration was visiting 
the town. 

Almost the first impression which comes to one 
the most forcibly, on entering Upper Canada, is 
that it is a priest-ridden land. One sees priests 
trailing around everywhere, and in the country 
districts they are the only ones w'ho seem to live 
on the "fat of the land." There is nothing that 
gets by them in the way of the enjoyments and 
the sweets of life, I imagine. In this tiny village, 
so small that we could see, from the station, the 
country all around, a churCh was being built to 
cost $25,0001 

Just before our train was due a through express 
came in sight, and the agent warned everybody 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 4$ 

away from the edge of the platform, where there 
was clanger of being drawn under the train by the 
draft which it created. He knew what he was 
talking about, too, for the train went by at fifty 
miles an hour, and the breeze carried with it was 
terrific. 

The train we were to take had to be flagged, and 
eTen then we came near losing it. Either the 
agent replaced the signal too soon, or the engineer 
did not see it, for the train thundered past the 
station at full speed. Immediaitely the agent start- 
ed ranning up the platform after it, gesticulating 
as only a Frenchman can, and somebody on the 
train seeing him, and knowing a mistake had been 
made, stopped the train and it backed down to 
the station. It was a close call for us, and we 
came near having to stop at the village all nig;ht, 
which prospect did not please us. 

So we flew on toward Montreal, with the ligtit- 
ning playing all around us. On the train we met 
two Americans, a gentleman and his son from 
South Framingham, Massachusetts, who had come 
up on their wheels as far as Burlington, but find- 
ing the roads very bad, ihad shipped the bicycles 
home. 

Soon we were rumbling over the great Victoria 
Bridge Vhich spans the St. Lawrence, and in a 
few moments pulled into the Bonaventure sta- 
tion, Montreal, where, after running the gauntlet 
of the pestiferous hackmen, worse than mosqui- 
toes, we made our way to the Savoy, the most ex- 
clusive and select hotel in the Canadian metrop- 
olis. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The first thing on the program the next morn- 
ing, after breakfast, was to secure our wheels and 
get the baggage, which I had ordered shipped 
from Burlington in bond, released from the cus- 
toms authorities. Obtaining the wheels was an 
easy matter for they were simply checked from a 
station in Canadian territory. On our way down 
to the railway station we inquired of a policeman 
if there were any special regulations applied to 
bicycle riding in the city, be informing us that it 
would be necessary to obtain a permit at police 
headquarters, to which place he directed us. The 
red tape which we had to contend with wound 
several times around and through the corridors of 
the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), and finally led us 
across the street to another building occupied by 
city offices. Finding the right place at last, we 
were told by the officer that he would give us 
permits for five days, free, after which we would 
be required to procure regular licenses at a cost 
of one dollar each, and to carry tags on our 
wheels. I said that five days would not quite cover 
it, and so he made It seven; and we sallied forth 
under the protection of the police, duly licensed 
to wander about unmuzzled for seven days, with 
the precious documents next our tiearts. This is 
how they read:— 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 45 

THE CITY OF MONTREAL. 

No. 1417— Chief of Police Office, Central Station, 

Notre Dame Street. 

Pass to "the Junior Partner" 

For 7 days 

Bicycle. 



July 15, 1899. 



Geo. H. Hughes, 
Superintendent of Police. 



The permits are now clierished souvenirs of the 
expedition. Here we wish to pay a tribute to the 
police of Montreal. They are nearly all French 
and they are all gentlemen. They are very cour- 
teous and most obliging and polite— not too mudi 
so, as are the black constabulary in Jamaica, West 
Indies. They are in striking contrast to most of 
the police in United States cities, -^ho are too im- 
portant by far, entirely devoid of good manners 
and apparently unable to grant a civil reply to a 
civil question. We have a few police, however, 
w^ho are just the opposite. 

Next we went to the express office, where we 
obtained an order on the customs warehouse for 
our baggage, riding to that place, down near the 
river-front, where the officials marked it with the 
magic symbol and received our (directions for send- 
ing it up to the hotel. 

We were now free to explore the city. At first 
one does not find Montreal an easy city to go 
about. The streets are laid out with fair regularity 
but the visitor requires some time to locate t!he 
streets clearly with reference to the points of the 
compass; but after a little it is simple enougih. 



46 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

Montreal is a handsome city, clean and well cared 
for; but, omitting the points of special interest, it 
soon becomes monotonous. 

Eegarding the paved streets, they were original- 
ly intended to be good; and those paved with con- 
crete and stone blocks, average, probably, as good 
as the streets of most large cities; but many of 
the streets of Montreal are paved with wooden 
blocks that have worn very unevenly, the result 
being innumerable deep depressions, making it 
very hard and disagreeable to ride a bicycle over 
them. On the outskirts, however, where the streets 
are surfaced with loam or macadam, it is pleasant 
riding, for the streets, particularly in the best res- 
idential sections, are very pretty; and the city has 
a profusion of fine trees. 

We decided first to go to Mount Royal, which 
stands a little to the northwest of the city, and it 
proved to be a pleasant ride. Arriving at Mount 
Eoyal we found an inclined railway leading to the 
summit. The fare is eight cents, up and back, in- 
cluding the wheels, and entering the car we soon 
found ourselves being drawn up by a cable, the 
power being located in an engine house at the top. 
We had been up inclined roads before, but never 
one so steep as this. Half of it must have been 
tilted fully forty-five degrees, and as we looked 
behind and down below us, then up and at the 
slender cable upon the strength of w^hich so much 
depended, it caused a sort of "creepy" feeling. At 
the top we stepped out and went to a pavilion, a 
sort of observation platform perched on the edge 
of the precipice, from which we had a superb pan- 
oramic view of the city, the St. Lawrence stretch- 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 47 

ing its broad silver band to the east and west, and 
the country for miles on all sides. 

Montreal is the largest city in the Dominion. 
It is picturesquely situated on an island in the St. 
Lawrence, at the head of ocean navigation, over 
six hundred miles inland. It is located in the 
midst of a great level plain, and ranlis among the 
most beautiful cities of the continent. It is, pre- 
eminently, a city of dhurches— gray old sanctu- 
aries and stately cathedrals that rival the grand- 
est edifices of Europe in splendor and historic in- 
terest. From our lofty position we could see, be- 
yond the St. Lawrence, to the eastward, the fa- 
mous Beloeil peaks, and to the north the Lauren- 
tian range, said, by geologists, to be the oldest of 
the world's mountains. Immediately below lay 
the city. 

It is a favorite pastime for cyclists of Montreal 
to ascend the mountain by the inclined railway, 
and then coast down on their wheels, round and 
round, winding to and fro over a splendid road, 
to the foot. We did not coast the entire distance, 
but we rode over some of the beautifullj^ shaded 
roads, that took us a little higher than where we 
landed, coasting back to the power house of the 
railway, where we spent another enjoyable hour 
at the pavilion. 

The return to the city was made in substantially 
the same way, the route awheel being varied a lit- 
tle. 

Monti'eal is a French city, almost as much so as 
Paris. Frencli is the language which one hears 
most spoken in the streets. Nearly all the stores 
are French, and splendid places they are, many of 



48 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

them. Almost all the signs bear French names, 
but nearly all of them, in Montreal, are duplicated 
in English. The majority of people met on the 
street can speak English, but French is the lan- 
guage of the city. In the stores, public buildings, 
depots, et cetera, both French and English are 
spoken; and the conductors of the electric cars 
and the cab drivers speak both languages. On the 
street cars, in the trains and on the boats, there 
are more French papers read than English. Of 
the total population of Montreal about two-thirds 
are French. Still, it is a city of the British Em- 
pire (begging Sir Wilfred Laurier's pardon), and 
there must be no clashing between the two na- 
tionalities. And they do get along splendidly. For 
Instance, if the mayor were to be elected by pop- 
ular vote the English would be out-voted three 
to one; so the mayor is elected by acclamation, 
the understanding being that the mayor shall be 
French one year and English the next, and so on. 
In the afternoon we took electric cars for the 
Lachine Rapids, which we intended to "shoot," 
we presumed it would be in "cold blood." But, 
oh, dear! We thought the rapids were very tame. 
It was a fine ride to Lachine, where we had some 
time to wait for the boat coming down the river. 
Here the St. Lawrence is very broad and beauti- 
fut, and spanned by a superb iron bridge. There 
were many other tourists beside ourselves, and the 
moment the gang-plank went ashore there was a 
frightful scrambling and pushing between those 
who wanted to come ashore and those -^ho wished 
to go aboard. As the former outnumbered the 
latter they carried the day and we were borne 




LACHINE RAPIDS. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 49 

alons in the crush. Then there was a great rush 
for the upper deck, but we succeeded in getting 
good places near the rail, and the boat started. 

The sail to the Rapids was well worth tlie time 
required. Presently we could see, a'head, the 
white-caps of the Rapids, and w^e soon entered the 
boiling water. We caught our breaths, but at once 
discovered that it was unnecessary. StiHl it is 
customary to do so. The water all around and for 
some distance ahead boiled and bubbled, lashed 
itself into fairly large waves, wiggled and twisted 
and gurgled a little. The river, to be liberal, was 
in a state of mild agitation; that was all. The 
steamer did not stand on her beam ends, nor dip 
her scuppers under. Perliaps s'he did not have 
any scuppers to dip under. We didn't notice them 
at any rate. The boat simply pitched easily and 
rolled a little, as we could tell by sighting by the 
flag-stafC at the bow, at objects on shore. Still it 
was a very interesting experience and mildly ex- 
citing, occupying several minutes, during w^hich 
we made several photographs. 

During the run down to Montreal we were in- 
terested in watcliing the shoves, and amused and 
wearied at the antics of the members of a "per- 
sonally conducted" party, on board, who made 
fools of themselves, as usual, spreading all over 
everything and making observations and asking 
questions that any intelligent six-year-old child 
ought to be ashamed of. 

As we drew up at the wharf at Montreal we no- 
ticed several ocean steamers lying there, and it 
seemed strange to think of their being liere, six 
hundred miles from the ocean, in the far northern 
interior of the continent. 



50 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

That evening we sat for a time in the park, 
watching the people promenading along the 
brightly lighted street. Happy people are these 
French, always bright and interesting. 

While sitting there we were both pleased and 
surprised to see an <^d friend, a civil engineer, 
who had visited us in Boston, and whom we had 
not seen for about four years— come walking by. 
Of course, we accosted him, for the pleasure of 
meeting was mutual. 

The remainder of the evening we pleasantly 
spent calling upon some friends, the result being 
an invitation to walk around Mount Royal in the 
morning, Sunday— leaving at 10.30 o'clock prompt- 
ly, no waiting beyond that hour for anybody. 

At the appointed hour in the morning we were 
on hand, ready for the trip. We walked first 
through the beautiful and extensive grounds of 
McGill College, and a short distance beyond I, my 
host and a young Englishman also engaged in 
business in Montreal, left the ladies to pursue 
their own sweet wills, and street cars, to meet us 
later at "St. George's on the hill." 

My friend is an old Alpine climber, and a 
smooth path where other feet have trod simply 
ten'ifies him and causes him to dart away by 
some more difficult and inaccessible route. His 
tramps among the Alps have stood him in good 
stead, but I followed him a good second, along 
steep paths embowered in trees and bushes, up 
steep inclines and over high ledges and boulders— 
Wherever one could be found. It was highly en- 
joyable, and my friend is a model companion on 
an outing. So we walked over and around the 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 51 

mountain, finally bringing up at the St. George's 
Club, the members of wihidh include prominent 
business men. There we were met by the ladies. 
Shaggy, obedient little "Jip" was there, too; and 
sitting on the broad, cool verandah, which com- 
mands a superb view, we imbibed cooling bever- 
ages before returning to the city, where we were 
further entertained, at dinner, by our friends, who 
are delightful and accomplished hosts. 
^ The remainder of the afternoon we spent visit- 
ing some of the famous churches and feasting our 
eyes upon their splendid interiors. Among them 
were St. James, modeled after St. Peter's, at 
Rome; and the Notre Dame Cathedral, famous the 
world over for its grand proportions, its magnifi- 
cent interior decorations and the priceless treas- 
ures that it contains. Its bell is said to be among 
the largest in the world. We sat for a time watch- 
ing the service, and then visited Bonsecours 
Church, near the market by the same name, where 
the hanging lamps are all in the form of models 
of ships and steamers, and where the priest was 
addressing the congregation in vigorous French. 
This ended our day's jaunting— and we returned 
to the hotel to make ready for our departure for 
Quebec, the following morning. 



CHAPTER VII. 

The next morning we were up early, and, with 
the wheels, luggage and camera thereon, we start- 
ed for the steamer which left for Quebec at 9 
o'clock, calling on the way at the post-office. 

Arriving at the wharf, after checking the 
wheels, for which we paid twenty-five cents each, 
we went aboard the "Caspian," which was taking 
on coal, which was brought along in dump carts 
that were driven on board. The "Caspian" is a 
good sized side-wheel steamer, and one of the 
pleasantest craft that we ever voyaged in. She 
has a large, well furnished and well lighted sa- 
loon, good staterooms, attractive dining saloon 
and a roomy deck. There was a fair number of 
first-class passengers beside ourselves, mostly Ca- 
nadians, with a sprinkling of American tourists 
(thanks be to Allah, none "personally conducted"), 
and one priest from Kentucky who was making a 
pilgrimage to Ste. Anne de Beaupre to be cured of 
deafness. 

What a broad, splendid waterway the St. Law- 
rence is, stretcihing away to the northeast with 
scarcely a curve or bend. The "Caspian" proved 
to be capable of very good speed, and she belched 
forth a continuous volume of black smoke from 
her firanel, indicating soft coal below and lots of 
it 

It was a perfect day, with scarcely a cloud vis- 
ible save on the far northern horizon, and the air 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 63 

was cool and bracing. The scenes along botli 
^ores were interesting to us, because they were 
entirely new. The country for nearly the entire 
distance of one hundred and eighty miles is al- 
most flat, excepting here and there steep bluffs 
along the river banks. Here and there, as we 
steamed down the broad river, little hamlets ap- 
peared, each with its tall spired church; and very 
pretty they looked against the vivid green back- 
ground. Here and there, wtiere the river broad- 
ened, there were extensive marshes, some of them 
almost entirely covered with vivid crimson flow- 
ers. 

We passed several craft, coming up the river, 
curious, clumsy hulls with square bows, loaded 
with wood and barely moving, each under a sin- 
gle great square sail which looked not unlike a 
lateen sail, on a mast stepped well forward. Evi- 
dently they could only run before the wind; at 
least, they would have difficulty in luffing and I 
should like to witness the operation— from the 
bank,— for one of these curious craft would surely 
require the whole width of the river. 

The channel is marked with frequent buoys, for 
we were told that the channel is constantly shift- 
ing and has to be carefully watched and dredged; 
and we passed several dredges at work. 

The first landing was at Sorel, a small place on 
the rig'ht bank, at the confluence of the Ridhelieu 
and the St. Lawrence: and it is a noteworthy fact 
that, in a forty or fifty foot steam launch, a voy- 
age can be made from the 'St. Lawrence and the 
Atlantic Ocean at New York, by way of the Rich- 
elieu, Lake Champlain, the Champlain Canal and 



54 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

the Hudson River. This is frequently done by 
canal boats. 

During the few minutes that the steamer lay at 
Sorel, we had a good chance to observe the p*eople, 
many of whom were at the wharf, and they were 
well appearing, vivacious people, especially the 
girls, some of whom were very pretty. 

Soon after leaving Sorel we entered Lake St. 
Peter, which is simply a very broad place in the 
river; and such is its expanse that, looking directly 
ahead, the eye meets the horizon, just as it would 
at sea; though, on either side, the shores can, of 
course, be seen. 

The dinner gong sounded soon after entering 
the lake, and we forthwith repaired to the dining- 
room. At our table there was a waiter whose 
English was so limited that he couldn't under- 
stand whether we wanted pommes de terre or 
"oeufs" on toast. He appealed to the head waiter, 
who relieved him and sent an Englisih speaking 
Frenchman to our table. We sat by a wide, open 
window, from which we could look out at the 
shore; which reminded me of a voyage I once took 
along the south coast of Jamaica, only I could not 
quite see the shore of South America, although it 
was not very far away. 

After dinner we inspected the engine rooms, as 
we always do, and shades of Fulton, of all the 
anticiuated pieces of mechanism. It was built 
some fifty years ago; but, while ruddly construct- 
ed and covered with rust, it forced the boat 
through the water without a tremor. 

On this deck were the passengers below first- 
class, at which no first-class passenger ought to 
complain. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 5$ 

At the lower end ol' Lake St. Peter another land- 
ing was made, at Three Rivers, a place of consid- 
erable size, built along the river-bank at the foot 
of the bluff. Three Rivers is an important station 
of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which runs along 
the left bank of the river. Half the population 
gathered at the landing, including several priests 
and poiicemen, the occasion being graced by the 
presence of the C'hief of Police, as we observed by 
the letters on his chapeau. He looked like a Cos- 
sack in his quaint uniform, over the front of which 
bushy whiskers trailed like the water pouring 
down over the Falls of Montmorency. The Junior 
Partner tried to secure a photograph of this guar- 
dian of the peace, but the moment s(he leveled the 
camera toward the wharf half of the people there 
began to edge along so as to be included in the 
view, with tihe result that she was compelled to 
abandon the attempt. 

While we were on Lake St. Peter the steamer 
ran into a squall, when the rain fell so heavily that 
the shores were obscured from view and every- 
body was driven inside; and it did not entirely 
cease raining until we were nearly up to Three 
Rivers. As we neared Quebec the level country 
was left behind and the bluffs were higher and 
steeper, with hills beyond. 

Our journey was made still more pleasant by 
the attention of Captain Craig, who chatted with 
us concerning points on the river and related inci- 
dents in his active and interesting career. Cap- 
tain Craig is very popular with the traveling pub- 
lic, because he is not only pleasant and agreeable 
himself, but he is constantly trying to add to the 
enjoyment of his passengers. 



56 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

Interest in the voyage subsided as we neared 
Quebec, and presently we saw, outlined against 
the sky, on the left, the frowning Citadel, situated 
at the top of a great rock which rises, sheer, hun- 
dreds of feet above the water, like Gibraltar, 
which, in times past, rendered it impregnable. 
Passing under the shadow of the famous fortress, 
old Quebec, ancient and hoary, was before us, the 
"Lower Town" bunched at the water's edge, with 
the "Upper Town" above, its lower part dim in the 
shadows of the tT\ilig'ht, and with the upper part, 
crowning the hill, standing out sharply in a serrat- 
ed line against the glowing sky. 

Disembarking we made our way through the 
babol of carriage drivers until we found a vehicle 
bearing the name of the hotel to w'hich we were 
going; and, in company with three bright young 
ladies from St. Paul, Minnesota, we rumbled away 
to the "Upper Town," zigzagging to and fro up the 
steep, narrow streets, quaint and curious, until 
the panting horses stopped in front of the hotel. 



y'?!f<f^^^i:s. 






CHAPTER VIII. 

We determined to Wheel to Ste. Anne de Beau- 
pre before exploring Quebec, so, early the next 
morning, we went to the **Lower Town" to the 
Wharf, and securing the wheels, set out. Riding 
along the business thorouglifares, narrow and 
quaint, few of the places of business being open 
at that hour, we crossed the bridge over the St. 
Charles river, taking a northeast course to the St. 
Lawrence. 

We entered a country fair to look upon. Ricli 
grass-lands and fields of growing crops lay on 
either side of the road, and wild-flowers in great 
profusion lent brilliancy to the landscape. It was 
a bright morning, with a sllglit crispness in the 
air, and the road was all that could be desired, 
with no hills to compel dismounting; indeed, we 
were able to coast frequently. Here and there 
the road was shaded by locust trees, and generally 
the way was, for the first ten miles, through a 
highly cultivated section. Our route lay along the 
valley of the St. Lawrence, bounded on the left by 
an almost continuous bluff, beyond which the 
country stretched away to the unbroken northern 
wilderness— unbroken to the Arctic Circle. To the 
right the beautiful fertile valley, cut up by rail 
fences enclosing the little rectangular French 
farms— gently sloped to the great broad river. 

Wo were in a community of what might be des- 
ignated French peasantry, prosperous, thrifty, 



58 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

small farmers. We frequently met people on the 
road. They were very reserved, but always cour- 
teous. The farm-houses were nearly all built in 
the style of architecture peculiar to the country 
districts of Brittany, in France, with roofs curv- 
ing upward at the lower edges, and with figured 
paper shades at the windows. In front of nearly 
all of them, bright, carefully tended flowers added 
to their attractiveness. We saw, here and there, 
women working in the fields, with the men; and 
among the most novel sights on the road was a 
small milk-cart drawn by a large dog harnessed 
into the shafts, driven by a French boy. We 
halted him and tried to make him understand that 
we wished to take a photograph of him and his 
turnout; and although we were unable to make 
him comprehend, he posed for us without protest- 
ing, for which I rewarded him with a few coppers. 

We were on the road to the Northern Mecca— to 
the shrine of "Bonne Ste. Anne," and at short in- 
tervals, by the roadside, we came to a tall black 
wooden cross, a tiny chapel, bow-shaped, rounded 
at the back, or tiny shrines containing images of 
Ste. Anne. 

Spinning down a small hill with our feet on the 
coasters, suddenly a roar like that made by fall- 
ing water, broke upon our ears. 

**We must be near the Falls of Montmorency," 
I said to the Junior Partner, and, inquiring of a 
boy who happened along just then, he directed us 
to the falls. The falls are hidden by trees and 
cannot be seen from the road; and the adjacent 
territory is fenced in. As we approached the gate 
a man came out of the inn on the opposite side of 




BASILICA, STF. ANNE DE BEAUPRE, 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 59 

the road, and in a soft voice informed us that the 
charge to pass would be twentynfive cents each. 
This we paid and mounting our wheels rode along 
a smooth, winding, ^hady road among the trees, 
following the sound of the Falls, which we could 
not gee until we were right abreast of them. 

It was a most beautiful sight. The Falls are not 
more than fifty or sixty feet wide, but they are 
275 feet high, about a hundred feet higher than Ni- 
agara, and the water plunges down the almost 
perpendicular face of the cliff. Which is closely 
covered with trees, contrasting most beautifully 
with the vivid whiteness of the falling water. The 
rock over which the water falls, and that all 
around, in the immediate vicinity, at least, is com- 
posed of a very soft siha le. At the brink of the 
precipice opposite the Falls there is a little pa- 
vilion, from which a flight of wooden stairs de- 
scends to a platform about half-way down. There 
we sat and gazed upon this natural wonder, and 
admired the rainbow in the vapor at the foot of 
the Falls, which rose in a cloud, like steam. A 
short distance from here the water passing over 
the Falls flows into the St. Lawrence, which is 
plainly visible. Surely no cataract in the world 
can be more beautiful than that at Montmorency. 
We spent nearly an hour there, taking a photo- 
graph, and then returning to the road we resumed 
our ride to Ste. Anne de Beaupre. 

Now, for many miles, we coasted nearly all the 
way. The road was superb, the reason being ap- 
parent when we, now and then, passed men at 
work on it, and scrapers smoothing the surface. 
The French here have not forgotten the art so well 



60 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

known to their nationality— road-building. We 
passed frequent villages, quiet, quaint little ham- 
lets; and at short intervals we came to cool, bub- 
bling springs by the way. 

Toward noon we looked for some place, perhaps 
an inn, where we could get dinner; but seeing 
none, wo asked a man on a team whic'h we over- 
took, where we could obtain something to sus- 
tain us during the remainder of our pilgrimage. 
He directed us to a house which stood high above 
the road, a few rods ahead. 

A few minutes before we stopped at a house 
where we made our wants known, and a good- 
natured man tried his best to get us some milk, 
going to several of his neighbors in an endeavor 
to find some. He was unsuccessful, however, ex- 
pressing his regrets with many shrugs of his 
shoulders. 

Stopping in front of the 'house to Which we were 
directed by the man on the team, I went up the 
steps and rapped at the door. A man with a shock 
of hair which stood straig'ht up all over his head, 
appeared, and when he understood What we 
wanted he disappeared. I could hear the rattle of 
disTies, knives and forks, indicating that the 
family was at dinner. Soon the man re-appeared 
and told me that we could not get anything to eat 
there. I then asked him if we could not get some 
milk, for we were very hungry. Once more he dis- 
appeared to the regions within and soon a kindly 
looking, elderly woman came to the door and in- 
vited us in. Once inside, I opened negotiations, 
I mentioned the word "store," and suggested that 
they might send out and get something for us. A 




INTERIOR OF THE BASILICA. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 61 

buxom young woman entered the room, and we 
understood one another in a moment. She ad- 
dressed her remarks to the Junior Partner, and 
the Frenc?h flew thick and fast. 

"Er, will you — aigs?" inquired Mademoiselle. 

"Yes, let's do it," said I joyfully, interrupting 
the conversation. "If there's anything I like to do 
when I'm hungry," said I, "it's eggs." 

"Oui," said the Junior Partner. 

"Oui, oui." I chimed in; and "oeufs!" called out 
Mademoiselle, moving toward the kitchen. 

Now the Junior Partner always carries a chate- 
laine, a fearful and wonderful receptacle, from the 
mysterious depths of which is liable to come al- 
most anything in times of emergency. On this 
occasion it was a few shelled walnuts for the 
baby, whic'h opened the heart of not only the 
child's grandmother, but its mother, who led the 
little one up to the Junior Partner, telling it, in 
French, to thank the lady; and it lisped: '"Merci, 
Madame" as plainly as it could. 

To my great pleasure another full grown and 
well developed Mademoiselle appeared; and they 
all fell to, went into the spare room and got out 
the best table cloth, the best knives and forks and 
dishes, spreading the table in the front room. One 
of the dear girls went out and got some cakes; 
and they made tea and brought out some damson 
preserves with thick cream, so we sat down to a 
delicious lunch, which included fried eggs and 
bread and butter. While we ate we conversed in 
a mixture of French and English, with one of the 
young ladies, who sat by with some sewing. We 
told her where we were going, she thought, at 



62 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

first, until we showed her the wheels, that we were 
making the pilgrimage on foot. We told her how 
far we had come that day, and where our home 
was, this interested her for she had a brother in 
Haverhill, Massachusetts— "Averill," she pro- 
nounced it, and she wanted to know how far that 
was from Boston. 

Then she wanted to know if we were brother 
and sister, and the .Tuuior Partner stated that she 
was "Madame," which explained the mystery. 

Then I asked Mademoiselle if she was married. 

She blushed and said: "Non." 

I observed that, in that case, there must be 
either a great scarcity of young men in that 
vicinity, or else they were a mighty unapprecia- 
tive lot of fellows. 

We finished dinner and I asked liow much it 
would be. The young lady consulted her mother, 
and then turning to me, said; *'Five-ty cents," 
wliich I most cheerfully paid. 

Again w^e mounted the wheels and pedalled on 

with renewed vigor but presently, to our sudden 

surprise we had to dismount and from here on 

We walked most of the way 

To Sante Anne de Beaupre 

Over a jagged road of clay. 

Occasionally we could ride a little, and once I 
was unceremoniously unseated by my wheel 
sinking to the hub in a clay mire. 

The bluff along the left-hand side of the road 
was now very high and lofty, and covered with 
trees, and every rod or two a little stream of water 
rushed down to the road, an opening in the foliage 
sometimes revealing a pretty cascade. It was cer- 
tainly a profusely ^vatered country. 





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MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 63 

As we proceeded we caught frequent glimpses of 
the interiors of the houses, which were not so at- 
tractive as the exteriors. 

Anon, we passed women washing clothes by the 
streams, with fires burning beneath great kettles 
resting upon arches of stones; and by some of the 
houses, dinner was being cooked in the open air, 
tlhe whole family assisting and tending the fires 
under the kettles in which the food was being 
cooked. 

Here and there by the road were vegetable cel- 
lars and dairies built into the side of the hill with 
brick front and heavy doors. Some of them were 
in ruins but others were in good repair. 

So riding and walking alternately we reached 
the village of Ste. Anne de Beaupre, wheeling 
through the main street to the church of Bonne 
Ste. Anne. 

Ste. Anne de Beaupre has been, for more than 
two hundred and fifty years, the place of pilgrim- 
age for devout Catholics seeking health. 

It is very often difficult to separate tradition 
from history so we will call this story tradition. 
In the early part of the eighteenth century some 
Breton mariners, who were overtaken by a violent 
storm while navigating the St. Lawrence, vowed 
to Saint Anne that if delivered from the dangers 
that threatened them, they would erect a sanctu- 
ary on the spot on which they should land. Their 
prayers were iheard and they erected a small 
wooden chapel. The first primitive little structure 
was replaced by a larger one in 1660, and it was 
almost entirely rebuilt in 1787. In 1878 it became 
a pretentious chapel and now stands on the site of 



64 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

the sacred spring whose waters are supposed to 
possess miraculous properties. Across the street 
there is a splendid edifice, opened in 1876 and 
raised to the dignity of a Basilica by Pope Pius 
IX. It is of immense proportions and the architec- 
ture is Corinthian. A marvellously beautiful and 
colossal statue of Ste. Anne surmounts the facade 
between twin towers of great height. The interior 
is unrivalled for its beauty and imposing grand- 
eur, and there are many paintings representing 
different scenes In the life of Christ. On each side 
of the entrance are large pyramids of canes, 
crutdhes, trusses and splints, left there in evidence 
of the efficacy of the intervention of the saint. 

Near the altar there is another statue of Ste. 
Anne, resting on a column of onyx; and at the foot 
there is a fragment of the finger bone of the saint, 
procured by Laval, the first bisihop of New 
France; a part of the wrist of the saint sent by 
Pope Leo XIII. and a portion of the rock from the 
gi-otto in which Ste. Anne gave birth to the Virgin 
Mary. Beside, there are many valuable gifts from 
famous persons, among them being a superb chas- 
uble, the work of Anne of Austria, Queen of 
France and mother of Louis XIV. The Scala 
Santa, or "sacred stairs," which supplicants 
ascend upon their knees, is constructed in imita- 
tion of Pilate's palace at Jerusalem, each step con- 
taining relies from the Holy Land. 

One of a party of young ladies asked a priest if 
they might go up the stairs on their knees, to 
Which he replied that they could if they wished, 
but that they would find some Protestant stairs 
near by that they could go up a good deal quicker. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 65 

Last year there were about 125,000 pilgrims to this 
spot. 

The broad St. Lrawrence rolls past the door. 
The week of our visit was one of pilgrimage. We 
sat in the church and gazed at the beautiful altar 
with its masses of cheap artificial flowers, in strik- 
ing contrast to the almost priceless treasures in 
the church. We saw the devotees crowd at the 
foot of the statue of the saint, raise their eyes, 
pray and then kiss the little disk of plate glass 
Which covered the sacred relics. Then many of 
them went to the chapels that extended along both 
sides of the church, each dedicated to some par- 
ticular saint, there to ask some special interces- 
sion. 

Across the street, on the hillside, there is a gate 
leading to an inclosure, above which we read the 
words "The Way of the Cross." The way zig-zags 
up the hill, crosses being planted at intervals, the 
way terminating at the foot of a great cross on 
which there is a figure of the crucified Christ. Ad- 
joining this there is a cemetery, and in it a small 
sanctuary containing figures representing the 
crucifixion, where the walls were covered with in- 
scriptions written with lead pencils, signed with 
the names of the writers; among them being fre- 
quently a supplication to the saint in these words: 
"'Ste. Anne, pray for us." 

We entered a little cemetery where the graves 
were some of them, curiously marked; some of the 
tomb-stones and head pieces having set into them 
glass cases containing photographs of the de- 
ceased. 

Along the roadside, and by the entrances to the 



66 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

great churcli, were booths Where were exposed for 
sale, rosaries, figures of Ste. Anne, medals, cruci- 
fixes and many other holy emblems; and we pur- 
chased several of these. 

By a sign near the side or rear entrance, visitors 
and pilgrims were admonished that alms should 
be given to beggars. 

At about the centre of the village, in a little gar- 
den, .iust off the main street, there is a small 
shrine containing a figure of Ste. Anne. We were 
told that when a conflagration visited the town 
ei^ht years ago, that the flames did not pass be- 
yond the shrine; and it is stated that the interces- 
sion of the saint arrested the progress of the fire. 

A visit to the "Mecca" of the Northland is an 
event never to be forgotten. It is a land very 
quaint, very curious, and above all, very French. 

We took the train from the little station on the 
Quebec, Montmorency & Charlevoix Railway at the 
foot of the long plank walk which leads from the 
church, back to Quebec. The station agent, when 
I purchased the tickets, asked whether we would 
go first or second class, explaining that, if first- 
class, the wheels would be carried free, and if 
second-class, a charge would be made for them, 
so we went first-class. 

On the way to Quebec we had a good oppor- 
tunity to observe the people in another aspect— as 
they gathered at the stations; and as we passed 
Montmorency we had another view of the Falls. 

Arriving at Quebec we rode along the "Lower 
Town" to the foot of Rue du Palais, which climbs 
the "Upper Town." 



^1 



i 



iMH 



CHAPTER IX. 

That evening we went, in company with the 
three young ladies from St. Paul, to Dufferin 
Terrace, in front of the Chateau Frontenac, a 
splendid hotel conducted by the Canadian Pacific 
Railway. The broad Terrace is built along the 
edge of the great Gibraltar-like rock, far above 
the Lower Town, some parts of it 
overhanging the houses along Little Ohamplain 
Street below. At the northern side of the 
Terrace stands the Chateau Frontenac, the 
great Citadel looming far above the whole, on the 
western side. From the Terrace a magnificent 
view is obtained, even in the evening, with the 
lights below and across the river. The Terrace 
serves as the fashionable promenade of Quebec; 
and here the elite appear nig^htly, dressed in their 
very best, walking up and down, sitting upon the 
settees or leaning over the rail in front. It is a 
brilliant scene. Petite French mademoiselles are 
thei-e in pleasing profusion; and a majestic mem- 
ber of the Royal Canadian Militia, in full uniform 
and spurs, sti'ides up and down, thereby impart- 
ing a kind of military dignity. Along the front of 
the Chateau Frontenac there is a row of ever- 
green trees, behind which, in a sort of open-air 
cafe, refreshments are served. Brilliantly lighted 
by electricity, the effect is most fascinating. On 
certain evenings band concerts are given on the 
Terrace, which, of course, adds to the life and 
gayety. The Terrace is fully quarter of a mile 
long. On it are erected five handsome kiosks, to 



68 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

which the names Plessis, Frontenac, Dome and 
Lonise, Dufferin and Victoria, are given. The 
Terrace is more than 200 feet above the St. Law- 
rence. Across the river is Levis, where there are 
three formidable forts; and down stream is the 
beautiful Isle d'Orleans— the "Isle of Paccus" of 
Jacques Cartier, at a later day known as Sorcer- 
er's Island, on account of the fireflies that danced 
over its swamps, believed by the Indians and 
early French settlers to have some connection 
with His Majesty, the Devil. Further away is 
Cape Tourmente; and to the left the St. Charles 
sweeps and ^acefully wends its way to the 
greater river. In the valley of the St. Charles 
still stand the gaunt ruins of Cliateau Bigot, 
famed in early history hereabout. 

We were sitting together near the western end 
of the Terrace, almost under the guns of the Cita- 
del, when, suddenly, the sky was illuminated by a 
bright flash, followed by a sharp report. The ef- 
fect upon us all was startling, and one of the 
young ladies came near, so she said, jumping over 
the rail of the Terrace into Little Champlain 
Street. We had scarcely returned to the hotel 
when the rain came down in torrents, and it was 
fortunate that we escaped it. 

The morning dawned bright and clear, and im- 
mediately after breakfast we started out to see 
Quebec. 

In all North America, there is no city richer in 
historic treasures, or one of greater grandeur in 
its surroundings. Here it was that European civ- 
ilization was first planted in the Northland. Here 
two old world powers battled for the possession of 
half a continent. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 69 

Looking down from the Terrace front, is seen 
the narrow street named after the founder of 
Quebec, extending along to the foot of the Citadel 
cliff, just beyond w'hich is the narrow pass where 
Montgomery fell mortally wounded while leading 
his men in an attack upon the city. We first vis- 
ited the Governor's Garden, a little public park in 
the rear of Dufferin Terrace, where there is a 
dual-faced stone column to Wolfe and Montcalm, 
erected in 1827 and 1828. On it is this inscription:, 
—"Valor gave a common death, history a common 
fame, and posterity a common monument." 

On our way to the Citadel we passed the post- 
office. In the northern facade of the building, on 
Bande Street, is the gilt figure of a dog gnawing 
a bone, about which there is a legend w'hich Kirby 
has woven into a charming romance. Under the 
French regime, a coffee house stood upon the site 
now occupied by the post-office, and its owner, 
having a dispute with the Intendant Bigot or 
some other high official, revenged himself by plac- 
ing this sculptured tablet in front of the house, 
with the accompanying lines in French:— 

"Je suis un chien qui ronge I'os, 
En le rongeant je prends mon repos, 
Un temps viendra qui n'est pas venu, 
Que je mordray qui m'aura mordu. 
1736." 

Freely translated, it reads as follows:— 

"I am a dog gnawing a bone. 
While I gnaw I take my repose. 
The time will come, though not yet, 
When 1 will bite him who now bites me." 



70 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

Climbing up tbe glacis of the Citadel to the 
guard house, a little girl, somewhat soiled as to 
garments, came forward and offered to take 
charge of the camera, which could not be taken 
inside the fortress. Taking it into the house, she 
conducted us to the gate of the inner fortress, for 
which the Junior Partner rewarded her with some 
silver coins. Passing through the massive arch of 
the gate, a soldier stepped forward and politely 
offered to conduct us around the fort. We under- 
stood him clearly, for this was not our first ex- 
perience of the kind. "Backsheesh" is the magic 
word. He conducted us around, speaking his little 
piece as he went, and pointing out the important 
objects, and conducting us to the edge of the par- 
apet, from which we had a superb view. The Cit- 
adel occupies the most commanding position in 
Quebec, having a clear range for its guns, most 
of which are obsolete, though we were informed 
that some modern pieces are being installed. The 
fortress stands 303 feet above the St. Lawrence. 
Up to ten or twelve years ago the Citadel was 
garrisoned by regular British troops, who were 
withdrawn at the request of Canada, who had 
grown sufficiently large to take care of herself (?). 
Though still a fortress and garrisoned by a small 
body of Koyal Canadian Militia, its chief use is 
for military stores. Here the Governor-General 
and suite are quartered when he honors Quebec 
with a visit The splendid being who acted as 
our guide, treading the floor of solid rock with 
majestic footsteps, took us to the centre of the 
parade ground, where, with much impressiveness, 
he pointed to a small brass cannon on which was 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 71 

an inscription stating that it was captured from 
the Americans at Bunker Hill. I wanted to dally 
around until the soldier glanced away, and then 
slip the little gun into my pocIi:et and take it away 
as a souvenir; but the Junior Partner would not 
let me. 

As we returned to the gate our escort gracious- 
ly presented the Junior Partner with a button of 
the uniform of the Royal Canadian Militia, and 
she showed him some she had obtained in Hali- 
fax, regular British buttons that had seen service 
in African campaigns. His generous and graceful 
act could not go unnoticed, so he was duly re- 
warded with some silver. Retiring from the fort, 
we ascended the glacis and walked along until we 
saw the girl, who had come out with the camera, 
having, in the meantime, put on clean clothes and 
combed her hair. 

Passing down along the walls, we went throagh 
the St. Louis Gate, which the Junior Partner pho- 
tographed, and proceeded to the Plains of Abra- 
ham.. Just before reaching the Plains we left the 
street and crossed a broad stretch of land devoted 
to pasturage, to the Martello Tower, and then 
walked across another pasture, where the Junior 
Partner saw, peacefully grazing, a flock of fero- 
cious man-eating cows; climbed fences, crossed a 
field, w^alking past the prison to the Plains of Ab- 
raham, stopping at the tall marble shaft which 
marks the spot where Wolfe fell, mortally wound- 
ed. It bears this inscription:— "Here Wolfe died 
victorious"; and his illustrious foe, Montcalm, also 
wounded, retreated within the walls to die. The 
Junior Partner secured a photograph of it. While 



72 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

there we met a voluble American, from New York 
State, who at once entered into conversation with 
us. After talking with him ten minutes no one 
could doubt that the world was made in seven 
days. He had left his wife standing out by the 
road, while he came over to inspect the battle- 
field. He told us who he was, that his wife was 
a Bostonian and that they were married in Trin- 
ity Church by Phillips Brooks. His wife was an 
enthusiastic collector of china, and she bothered 
hira by disappearing at unexpected moments into 
some place in search of rare china. He had been 
kept so busy hunting up his better half that he 
had not had much time to make a historical in- 
spection of Quebec; so he enlisted our aid and 
drew upon the knowledge we had collected. He 
was a jovial, pleasant man, polished and polite. 
Whipping out a notebook and pencil he began to 
check off the places that he had seen. 

"Now let's see," said he, indicating the entire 
territory at the east and south with a sweep of his 
hand, "is there anything off there worth seeing?" 

We replied that there was nothing particularly 
interesting except the Martello Tower. He said 
that he had seen that on his way up in the car. 

"Now let's see," he continued, "Wolfe and his 
men swarmed up from over there (pointing 
toward the river) and met Montcalm's forces 
about here (pointing to the ground) and here is 
where both generals were wounded?" 

We replied that we believed that that was the 
impromptu program. 

"I've got the whole bill," said he. slapping the 
notebook together and putting it in his pocket. 



#^'Vt\t 




^t. 



MAR 1 ELI. U TOWER, OUEBEC. 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 73 

All the while his wife had stood out by the road, 
frequently beckoning to him. But he did not hurry 
until he had taken in the "whole bill." 

The Martello Towers, already spoken of, were 
not erected until 1812, and, while they are formid- 
ably built, they were weakly consti'ucted toward 
the city, so that, in case of capture they might be 
easily destroyed. 

A short distance away from the shaft, on the 
escarpment overhanging the St. Lawrence, is the 
path by which the British troops scaled the cliffs 
on the night before the battle; and at the foot 
of the rocks is Wolfe's Gove, where the forces 
landed. 

Leading from near the east end of Dufferin 
Terrace, a long flight of steps leads from the Up- 
per to the Lower Town. Formerly this was the 
only means of going from the upper to the lower 
part of the city, and vice versa; but now there is 
an inclined elevator, whose car, drawn by a cable, 
slides up and do\^Ti in a covered passageway be- 
tween the Terrace and Little Champlain Street 
below. We went down the steps and turned into 
Little Champlain Street, which is, by all odds, the 
quaintest, narrowest, oldest and most curious of 
the city's thoroughfares. We walked along it un- 
til we reached the foot of the cliff, on the top of 
which is perched the Citadel, a sheer ascent ot 
more than three hundred feet. We were much in- 
terested in seeing where, about ten years ago, a 
great mass of rock broke away and fell from the 
height above, some 200 feet, wrecking many 
houses in Little Champlain Street and killing 
about forty people. There is one house still stand- 



74 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

ing, on the opposite side of the street, with a part 
of one end gone, carried away by the avalanche 
of rock. We returned to the Upper Town by the 
elevator. 

Only a few hours more remained for us in Que- 
bec; but before finally taking leave of the citj' we 
wish to devote a paragraph to the caleche drivers. 
The caleche is the predominating public vehicle 
of this city of the "Golden Dog," and it is a com- 
fort to know that it will be found nowhere else; 
not because it is not a convenient and comfortable 
carriage, but because the drivers of them are so 
obtrusive and insolent as to be veritable pests. 
The caleche is a two-wheeled, one-horse affair, 
with a hood like that on a buggy. In front of the 
seat there is a small seat, slightly elevated. When 
the driver is waiting for a fare he sits on the pas- 
sengers' seat; but when he secures a victim he 
perches himself upon the seat in front, and the 
caleche dashes away, careering along the narrow, 
crooked and steep streets. The caleche driver is 
never out of sight. He infests every corner and 
every street, especially in the sections of the city 
ttost frequented by tourists. If the visitor pauses 
anywhere, stops to glance at anything, crosses a 
square, or happens, by the merest accident, to 
glance in the direction of a caleche driver, up goes 
his hand in mute inquiry; or, if he is within speak- 
ing distance he repeats, "Caleche? Caleche? Ca- 
leche?" until the visitor is out of sight and hear- 
ing. Often we noticed them long distances away, 
with hands held aloft, their wrists curved like in- 
terrogation points. The best course to pursue is 
to take no notice whatever of them, ignore them, 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 75 

make no reply, if one does not require the services 
of a caleche. They will even drive in front of one 
and «!top directly in his path; but we had seen the 
carriage drivers of Kingston, Jamaica, do that. I 
would not advise the tourist to take a caleche in 
visiting the places of interest in Quebec, because 
they rush around from one place to another, giv- 
ing only opportunity for a momentary glance at 
objects of the greatest interest, so eager are they 
to be on the lookout for auother fare; and this, 
notwithstanding the fact that, unless the traveler 
is on to their methods, they have charged an ex- 
orbitant rate. They will always name a price 
two or three, or even four times as much as the 
service is worth. If the traveler is posted he has 
no trouble in beating them down to a reasonable 
figure. Our fondest wish is that the caleche 
driver, after he takes a last leave of Quebec, will 
continue forever to drive his caleche, with red-hot 
tires, over pavements of hot lava, or until the ve- 
hicle shrinks in the everlasting heat and drops to 
pieces, letting him down to sizzle upon the super- 
heated pavements of the infernal regions. 

The remainder of the day was spent in visiting 
some of the quaintest streets, in buying some 
fruit, which we found as fine and about as cheap 
as could be obtained in any large American city; 
in walking along the walls overlooking the Lrower 
Town, sitting in the park at the foot of the Ter- 
race, and in inspecting the Grand Battery, 
"grand" only from an ornamental standpoint, for 
the guns, pointing out over the walls toward Levis 
across the river, are obsolete; but, from an orna- 
mental point of view, they are very effective, their 
smooth brown barrels ranged in a row. 



CHAPTER X. 

We took the nig-iit boat back to MontreaL 
The steamer— the "Montreal"— sailed at 5.30 p. 
m., but we went on board half an hour 
before sailing time, and after placing our 
traps in the stateroom, we sat on deck 
and watched the scenes on shore until the lines 
were cast off. We were somewhat interested in 
watching the ferry-boats that ply between Que- 
bec and Levis, make landings. They came up 
near where the Montreal was lying, and it took 
them as long to land as an ocean steamer would 
require. After finally making fast to the wharf, 
a gang-plank was hauled aboard and the passen- 
gers and teams went ashore over it. A long time 
would Americans endure such slow methods on a 
ferry. 

The lines were cast off, and the Monti'eal swung 
out into the river. As she backed away, we no- 
ticed a commotion on the wharf, and saw a 
Frenchman standing there, gesticulating wildly, 
shouting and shaking his fists at the reti-eating 
steamer. He had arrived too late, and got left. 
He wanted the boat to return for him— but it did 
not. 

We sat on deck while the steamer glided on, 
leaving the old city behind; and the last glimpse 
we had of it was the gray Citadel and the even 
more imposing Chateau Frontenac, standing aloft 
on the top of the rock, its classic walls of stone 
sharply outlined against the glowing sky, the 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 77 

most prominent object seen either leaving or ai>- 
proacliing Quebec. 

The evening was very cool— cold in fact, so cold 
tbat the passengers could not stay on deck, but all 
huddled in the saloon with wraps about them. As 
for us, we secured a position as near the smoke- 
stack as we could. The only interesting occur- 
rence before it was dark, was the meeting and 
passing of the Caspian, bound for Quebec. We 
waved to Captain Craig, and thought we saw him 
answer us from the pilot house. 

When we went on deck in the morning the 
steamer lay at her wharf at Montreal, and, going 
ashore, we went at once to the hotel and ordered 
breakfast. Then we started out to look about the 
city, first calling at the post-offlce, afterward do- 
ing a little shopping. 

In the course of our wanderings we passed Bon- 
secours Market, where we saw stalls in charge of 
women, and some splendid fruits and vegetables 
exposed for sale. One can obtain very poor spruce 
beer, which is rendered still more unpalatable by 
putting into it lemon or some other syrup. They 
should go down to Nova Scotia and learn how to 
make and serve spruce beer. 

The authors, in convention assembled, seriously 
and with deliberation, hereby desire to put them- 
selves on record and state that the hack drivers 
of Montreal are about the most obstreperous and 
careless lot of fiendish jehus that they ever met 
in all their travels. They do not hesitate to delib- 
erately run people down, and if one happens to be 
in a close place, it makes no difference to them. 
They give a pedestrian no show whatever. So far 



78 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

as the cab service of Montreal is concerned, it is 
superb, plenty of it, and cheap. 

After dinner we took the camera and sallied 
forth, with two objects in view; one being to visit 
the Chateau de Ramezay, on Notre Dame Street, 
and to "wing" a priest in heavy marching order, 
with flowing soutaine and shovel hats. We first 
visited the Chateau, where there are interesting 
and extensive collections of historic objects relat- 
ing to and having some bearing upon the history 
of Canada. It is worth far more time than we 
were able to give it, for a whole day might be de- 
voted to its Inspection with pleasure and profit. 
It contains some fine paintings and other rare 
treasures. The old building is probably the most 
historically interesting structure in Montreal, for, 
In times past, it served as the residence of the 
early Governors; and some dark tales are related 
in connection with it and the vegetable cellars be- 
neath, which are said to have been utilized as dun- 
geons for refractory Indians. 

Leaving the Chateau we focused the camera, 
uncovered a plate and lay in wait for a priest for 
half an hour or so; but, although we saw several, 
we were unable to get one vrithin range. So we 
gave it up and boarded an open car for a trip 
around Mount Royal. It was a delightful experi- 
ence. We passed through the "French quarter," 
which may be alluded to as the "tenderloin dis- 
trict" of Montreal, where children of all sizes are 
as numerous as flies at a country hotel. With only 
one (Change we made the tour of the mountain, 
passing many beautiful residences and extensive 
market gardens, through woods and along shaded 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 79 

roads. The car ran at high speed and it was an 
exhilarating experience. 

The conductors on the cars in Montreal handle 
no money— paid for fares by passengers. They 
carry tickets that they sell, six for twenty-live 
cents, and when they collect a fare they pass a 
sort of little metallic pitcher, with a slot in the 
top, into which the passenger slips a ticket. If 
the fare is paid in money, the silver coin is 
dropped into the slot; and if the passenger passes 
the conductor, say half a dollar, that genius 
makes the change, passing it all to the passenger, 
who selects the correct coin and drops it into the 
silot. 

As in the United States, the passenger is cau- 
tioned to "be careful in getting on or off the car"; 
although here, as in the United States, he usually 
gets off where, how and When he chooses. 

"Faites attention en montant dans le tramway 
et en en descendant," is the way the admonition 
reads on the Montreal electrics. 

We spent our last evening in Montreal sitting 
in the park, at our favorite occupation— observ- 
ing and studying the people, later calling around 
to bid adieu to our friends. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Although I have been, for a number of years, 
a rather close student of Canadian politics, 
I was slow to admit, even to myself, what 
seemed quite apparent, that Canada was hostile 
to the United States. I reasoned that what 
seemed to be an unfriendly attitude on the part 
of the Dominion was simply the political hostil- 
ity of the governing classes. 

Nevertheless, as time went on, I became con- 
vinced that my deductions were correct, and that 
Canada, of her own free will, was our inveterate 
foe. During two visits to the Maritime Provinces, 
I observed carefully the sentiment there toward 
the United States, and somewhat to my surprise, 
as well as to my great gratification, I found only 
the opposite of an unfriendly feeling towards us. 
Again I thought that I must have erred in my 
conclusions; but careful observations during this 
visit to that part of Canada lying to the north of 
us, left no doubt in my mind as to the accuracy 
of my previous deductions. 

That Canada, with the exception of the Mari- 
time Provinces, is bitterly hostile to us, and with- 
out good reason, there is not a shadow of doubt. 
The secular and the periodical press reflect the 
true sentiment of the people, who embrace every 
opportunity and avail themselves of the flimsiest 
pretexts to criticise the United States, our gov- 
ernment, politics, political and social morals and 
to discredit the motives of our government on 
matters of international interest in which we are 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 81 

engaged. Nothing is too vituperative to be said 
concerning the people of the United States, their 
antecedents and their morals. This government 
is pictured as devoid of all honor and integrity, 
and incapable of any high, pure motives. The 
United States is described as an octopus, reaching 
out to grasp whatsoever it may, regardless of all 
claims of right, wrong and humanity. 

This, in brief, is Canadian sentiment toward the 
United States. 

This is, in part, due to extreme jealousy; and, 
coupled wth her hatred for the republic at the 
south, Canada is gpnerally disgruntled toward 
Great Britain, so that, between damning the Un- 
ited States and singing "God Save the Queen," 
the Dominion labors under the impression that it 
behooves her to "keep her powder pans well 
filled," for she thinks that the Washington gov- 
ernment and London are hand and glove, to the 
detriment of Canada. 

Aside from her general jealousy, her bitterness 
over tariff's, the fisheries and the Alaskan bound- 
ary, Canada has a long list of grievances against 
the United States, for which she holds England 
partly responsible for being too yielding in certain 
negotiations between the two coiintries. 

The peace negotiations of 1782-8, which resulted 
in the treaty acknowledging the independence of 
the Thirteen Colonies is the first event in the list 
of Canada's bitter pills. Today Canada is still 
muttering to herself :— "The ministry of Great 
Britain, careless of the future of Canada, yielded 
to every demand, abandoned the loyalists, and, 
after losing thirteen British colonies, in a fit of 



82 MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. 

unintelligible and unappreciated benevolence, gra- 
tuitously made the United States a present of suf- 
ficient British and Canadian territory to make 
nine and one-half more — thus adding to the lost 
and revolted colonies an additional empu-e of 351,- 
000 square miles!" 

Then, the treaty following the war of 1812, was 
a humiliating experience to Canada which she has 
never forgotten and from which she has never 
recovered. Then, to quote a wail of a Canadian 
historian of the present day, "the generosity of 
Great Britain further endowed the Republic with 
other large portions of Canadian territory and 
made aliens of other British subjects who had 
their homes there. During the war of 1812 the 
British forces and Canadian militia had captured 
and held possession of Maine on the east, and all 
of Michigan and the territory westward to the 
Mississippi. Great Britain's historic generosity 
restored all these conquered territories to the Un- 
ited States, as a peace offering, by the ti-eaty of 
Ghent in 1814. Her peace offering was unappreci- 
ated, and she was afterward rewarded with the 
Maine and Oregon boundary disputes, and an in- 
solent threat of war. By the Ashburton treaty of 
1842 she ceded some millions of Canadian acres, 
and her officers, without any treaty authorizing 
the change, gratuitously added a strip of territory 
between the Connecticut and St. Lawrence rivers, 
over 150 miles in length. By a carelessly described 
boundary she lost large islands in Lake Superior 
and about 4000 acres of an isolated promontory on 
the Lake of the Woods; and by later indifference 
she allowed the diplomatic lawyers of the United 



MONTREAL BY WAY OF CHAZY. S3 

Sitates to pry Canada out of several million acres 
of Oregon territory and good harbors in tlie Pa- 
cific of about six degrees of latitude; and by de- 
scribing a line througti a strait, in ignorance of 
Canadian localities, s'he was arbitrated out of ttie 
island of San Juan." 

Canada is still harboring bad blood over the 
I'enian raids which fermented in this counti'y. I 
have mentioned the fisheries controversy and the 
tariffs, notable among the latter being the Ding- 
ley tariff, all of which Canada is very sore over. 

Canadian sentiment may be summed up as fol- 
lows: "The acts of armed hostility and political 
unneighborliness on the part of the politicians of 
the United States, have, at the times, roused a 
spirit of resistance and anger— even to a threat- 
ened lex talionis— in Canada I" 

Canada is our bitter foe; and instead of devoting 
herself to developing her own latent industries, 
she is continually reminding herself of what a 
great country she would be did she occupy the en- 
tire North American continent and keeping her- 
self in a constant rage over her fancied grievances 
at the hands of the United States. 



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